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1027559

registered interest
date	18/12/2018
answering body	Department for Exiting the European Union
answering dept id	203
answering dept short name	Exiting the European Union
answering dept sort name	Exiting the European Union
hansard heading	Department for Exiting the European Union: Migrant Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of his Department paying the £65 application fee for settled or pre-settled status for EU nationals (a) employed by and (b) working as an outsourced worker in his Department; what estimate he has made of the total cost to his Department of paying those fees; and what assessment he has made of the risks that the EU Settlement Scheme poses to the retention of EU nationals (i) employed by or (ii) working as an outsourced worker in his Department.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	203248
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK Government currently does not plan to pay the Settled Status Fee for its non-UK EU citizen employees. The fee is set at an affordable rate (£65), less than the cost of a UK passport. Outsourced workers are not employees of the Department and therefore this would be a decision for their employers.</p><p>The number of non-UK EU citizens employed across the Civil Service is not consistently collected across Government. It is therefore not possible to estimate the cost of paying the settled status fee for non-UK EU nationals employed directly by the department.</p><p>We value the significant contribution made by EU citizens working in the Civil Service and we want these colleagues to continue to play a full role in the work of the Civil Service. We are committed to supporting our EU citizen employees across the Civil Service; the important engagement with EU national networks across government will continue over the coming months.</p><p>The Government has confirmed that, in a no deal scenario, the EU Settlement Scheme will continue to be implemented, enabling EU citizens and their family members living in the UK by 29 March 2019 to secure their status and continue to be able to work, study, and access benefits and services in the UK. The scheme will be fully open by 30 March 2019 as planned.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 04/01/2019 15:05:41 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1367401

registered interest
date	09/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Ventilation
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 provide Government funded schools with the funding to install portable high efficiency particulate filters in classrooms where existing ventilation is inadequate to reduce the transmission of covid-19; what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on providing long-term funding for schools to install or upgrade mechanical ventilation systems; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	72396
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2021 answer text <p>The department is providing CO2 monitors to state-funded education settings, including early years, schools, and further education providers, backed by £25 million in government funding.</p><p> </p><p>The new monitors will provide further reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working, helping balance the need for good ventilation with keeping classrooms warm. The department has also provided new information on how to use CO2 monitors to better manage ventilation.</p><p> </p><p>In the case of persistent red readings on CO2 monitors, settings should initially look at whether doors or windows can be opened, and/or mechanical ventilation systems fixed.</p><p> </p><p>If this is not feasible and CO2 readings cannot be improved, settings should look at undertaking further works to address the underlying problem. Remedial works to improve ventilation remain the responsibility of individual settings. Schools receive an annual devolved formula capital allocation to spend on small capital projects or capital purchases.</p><p> </p><p>For more substantial capital works, schools and those responsible for school buildings have access to funding to improve the condition of their buildings through different routes depending on their size and type. Further details are available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding</a>. Day to day maintenance, including minor repairs to improve ventilation, should be typically funded from revenue budgets.</p><p> </p><p>The case for additional support for settings to maintain good ventilation will be kept under review as the programme continues and schools, colleges, and nurseries use the monitors to further assess their ventilation needs.</p><p> </p><p>Department officials and Ministers regularly meet with a wide range of other government departments and external organisations to discuss the government's COVID-19 outbreak response. This includes the use of public health measures in education settings such as ventilation.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 16/11/2021 16:08:00 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1381785

registered interest
date	24/11/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Arts: Secondary Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential contribution of the arts and creative development subjects to secondary school pupils' education recovery following disruption caused by the covid-19 outbreak; and, with reference to page 4 of the costings document for the Conservative and Unionist Party manifesto 2019, if he will make it his policy to deliver an arts premium to secondary schools in (a) 2021-22, (b) 2022-23 and (c) 2023-24; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	80949
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2021 answer text <p>The government is committed to high-quality education for all pupils, and the arts and music are integral to this. With the significant impact of COVID-19 on children’s learning, the department’s priorities have inevitably had to focus on education recovery in the recent Spending Review. The government remains committed to the ambitions in the Plan for Cultural Education published in 2013, and will give consideration for a future arts premium in due course.</p><p>In recognition of the merit of these subjects and how they contribute to a broad and balanced education in and out of school settings, the department will continue to invest around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years, though our music, arts and heritage programmes.</p><p>With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the additional £1 billion new funding announced specifically for recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 30/11/2021 13:05:33 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1388784

registered interest
date	16/12/2021
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Admissions
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 add to the criteria by which local authorities can make changes to Published Admission Numbers proposals for maintained schools to include consideration of (a) fairness for disadvantaged communities and (b) decisions to re-distribute pupil places based on the number of children living near their local school; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	94316
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2022 answer text <p>A school’s admission authority is responsible for setting the published admission number (PAN) for each year in which children normally enter the school. This is usually the reception year in primary school and year 7 in secondary school. They must do so in line with the requirements of the school admissions code.</p><p>The local authority is the admission authority for community and voluntary controlled schools. For voluntary aided and foundation schools, the school’s governing body is the admission authority and is therefore responsible for setting the PAN.</p><p>Once they have determined their PAN, an admission authority may admit above that number but must notify the local authority of this in time to allow it to deliver its co-ordination responsibilities effectively. They may also admit above their PAN at any time through in-year admissions.</p><p>Where an admission authority proposes to decrease their PAN, they must first consult locally in accordance with the requirements set out in the school admissions code. This includes consulting with parents and all other admission authorities within the relevant area.</p><p>Community and voluntary controlled schools have the right to object to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator if the PAN set for them by the local authority is lower than they would wish. The decision of the Adjudicator is binding and enforceable.</p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker question first answered 10/01/2022 15:26:27 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1461227

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to immediately communicate to schools that they can use any stocks of lateral flow tests held locally; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	160
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2022 answer text <p>Public health advice continues to be that testing in education and childcare settings is no longer needed. Most infectious diseases in education and childcare settings can be managed by following the advice in UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) updated health protection in education and childcare settings guidance. Students and staff should follow UKHSA’s advice for those who have symptoms.</p><p>As individuals are now mixing in an otherwise open society, regular testing within school and colleges is no longer as effective as it once was. Instead, the most effective protection against severe disease from COVID-19 for everyone, including those at higher risk from COVID-19, is to get vaccinated.</p><p>Although settings may still have some unused test kits in stock, they should not continue to hand these out to staff or students or dispose of them (unless they have reached their expiry date).</p><p>The department are currently working with UKHSA to explore the options for removal of testing resources no longer required and repurpose or redeploy them as much as possible based on clinical need prioritisation.</p><p>In the meantime, settings should retain any surplus stock and may wish to note this in their contingency plans. The department has published emergency planning and responce guidance for education and childcare settings here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings</a>.</p><p>The department is also aware that some schools and colleges have reported finding the recruitment of invigilators more challenging this year. We are working with exam boards to monitor the risk and have supported recruitment by sharing The Exams Office’s vacancy map with pools of invigilators like parents and higher education students.</p><p>The Joint Council for Qualifications has published updated guidance for centres managing exams in case of invigilator shortage. This includes information about varying start times; alternative sites; invigilation ratios; use of subject teachers as invigilators; addressing challenges for individual candidates; and remote invigilation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 161 question first answered 18/05/2022 15:30:54 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1461228

registered interest
date	10/05/2022
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to make free covid-19 testing available for all (a) pupils, (b) staff and (c) exam invigilators over the current exam period; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2022 answer text <p>Public health advice continues to be that testing in education and childcare settings is no longer needed. Most infectious diseases in education and childcare settings can be managed by following the advice in UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) updated health protection in education and childcare settings guidance. Students and staff should follow UKHSA’s advice for those who have symptoms.</p><p>As individuals are now mixing in an otherwise open society, regular testing within school and colleges is no longer as effective as it once was. Instead, the most effective protection against severe disease from COVID-19 for everyone, including those at higher risk from COVID-19, is to get vaccinated.</p><p>Although settings may still have some unused test kits in stock, they should not continue to hand these out to staff or students or dispose of them (unless they have reached their expiry date).</p><p>The department are currently working with UKHSA to explore the options for removal of testing resources no longer required and repurpose or redeploy them as much as possible based on clinical need prioritisation.</p><p>In the meantime, settings should retain any surplus stock and may wish to note this in their contingency plans. The department has published emergency planning and responce guidance for education and childcare settings here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/emergency-planning-and-response-for-education-childcare-and-childrens-social-care-settings</a>.</p><p>The department is also aware that some schools and colleges have reported finding the recruitment of invigilators more challenging this year. We are working with exam boards to monitor the risk and have supported recruitment by sharing The Exams Office’s vacancy map with pools of invigilators like parents and higher education students.</p><p>The Joint Council for Qualifications has published updated guidance for centres managing exams in case of invigilator shortage. This includes information about varying start times; alternative sites; invigilation ratios; use of subject teachers as invigilators; addressing challenges for individual candidates; and remote invigilation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Worcester answering member printed Mr Robin Walker grouped question UIN 160 question first answered 18/05/2022 15:30:54 answering member 4091 label Biography information for Mr Robin Walker
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas