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882249

registered interest
date	13/04/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Autism
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to make primary and secondary schools autism friendly.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	135358
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Education (DfE) has funded the Autism Education Trust (AET) since 2011 to deliver autism awareness training for early years, school and post-16 education staff. To date, the AET has provided training for more than 150,000 education staff. The training is available for all those who work in schools, not just teachers. The AET has also published national autism standards for educational settings and a competency framework for those working with children and young people with autism. We have recently confirmed a two-year extension to the contract with the AET worth £1.45 million.</p><p>We have provided funding to a range of organisations leading on different kinds of SEND to develop resources and training to equip the school workforce, including on autism. A SEND review tool to help schools identify priorities and build school-to-school approaches to improvement is now available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/commissioning-a-send-review" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/commissioning-a-send-review</a>. This is supported by a number of tools to address any weaknesses identified by a review, available at <a href="http://www.sendgateway.org.uk" target="_blank">www.sendgateway.org.uk</a>. We will shortly be awarding a two-year contract to provide strategic support to the workforce in mainstream and special schools, from foundation stage to sixth form, to deliver high quality teaching across all types of SEND.</p><p> </p><p>Schools also have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for pupils who are disabled, which would include those on the autistic spectrum, and to ensure that disabled pupils are not at a substantial disadvantage compared with their peers. This duty is anticipatory, it requires thought to be given in advance to what disabled children and young people may require and what adjustments might be needed to prevent that disadvantage.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/04/2018 16:46:10 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

861122

registered interest
date	13/03/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Northern Ireland
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons Northern Ireland is not included in the Government's plans to increase the threshold for free school meals for universal credit claimants.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	132271
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2018 answer text <p>Education policy is fully devolved in Northern Ireland, and it is for Northern Ireland to decide which of their pupils should be eligible for free school meals.</p><p> </p><p>In April 2017, the Northern Ireland Executive, prior to its suspension, launched a consultation on eligibility for free school meals under universal credit. This new criterion was then introduced with effect from 27 September 2017.</p><p> </p><p>Similarly, Scotland and Wales are not included in the threshold for free school meals – as again education policy is devolved. Scotland set their threshold lower than we set in England – and the threshold was passed without debate or opposition in the Scottish parliament.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 21/03/2018 16:32:50 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

858532

registered interest
date	09/03/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils were entitled to free school meals in (a) Leeds North West Constituency and (b) England in each of the last ten years for which information is available.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	131787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2018 answer text <p>The proportion of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals is published at the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2017" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/<br>government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2017</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Data is not summarised by parliamentary constituency, but data for each school is available in the ‘Underlying data: SFR28/2017’ of the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release, contained in file ‘SFR28_2017_Schools_Pupils_UD’. The figures can be filtered by school phase (column N), school type (column O), parliamentary constituency (column V) and Free School Meal eligibility (column ED).</p><p> </p><p>Information for earlier years (from 2010 onwards) can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-and-pupil-numbers</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 14/03/2018 16:52:23 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

858533

registered interest
date	09/03/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Leeds North West
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 estimate of the number pupils that will be entitled to free school meals in Leeds North West constituency as a result of his Department's proposals to change the threshold for eligibility for free school meals eligibility under universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	131788
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2018 answer text <p>The department has not made constituency-level forecasts of the number of pupils that will be entitled to free school meals under the new criteria. At a national level, it is estimated that by 2022 around 50,000 more children will benefit from a free school meal compared to the previous benefits system.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 131876 question first answered 14/03/2018 17:15:51 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

858621

registered interest
date	09/03/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Leeds North West
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 pupils entitled to free school meals in the Leeds North West constituency after recent changes to the threshold for free school meals eligibility under universal credit.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	131876
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2018 answer text <p>The department has not made constituency-level forecasts of the number of pupils that will be entitled to free school meals under the new criteria. At a national level, it is estimated that by 2022 around 50,000 more children will benefit from a free school meal compared to the previous benefits system.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 131788 question first answered 14/03/2018 17:15:51 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

845500

registered interest
date	20/02/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
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 effect of the financial position of the 10 largest academy trusts on the quality of their educational provision.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	128472
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2018 answer text <p>The Department for Education, through its Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs), monitors the educational performance of all academy trusts. Similarly, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) monitors the financial position and viability of all trusts. Working very closely together, RSCs and the ESFA take robust action in accordance with their responsibilities when they need to.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/02/2018 14:30:21 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

837969

registered interest
date	06/02/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Sanitary Products
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure all school students have access to sanitary products.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	126999
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2018 answer text <p>No girl should be held back from reaching her potential because of her background or gender; this is why our current Sex and Relationships Education guidance encourages schools to make adequate and sensitive arrangements to help girls cope with menstruation.</p><p> </p><p>Schools are best placed to identify and address the needs of their pupils, and have discretion over how they use their funding and can make sanitary products available to disadvantaged pupils if they identify this as a barrier to attainment or attendance. We support schools in addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils through the provision of the Pupil Premium, equivalent to almost £2.5 billion of additional funding this year alone. For students over 16, the 16-19 Bursary Fund can be used to support students from vulnerable groups and those who may face financial hardship to participate in education.</p><p>As a government, we are helping millions of families meet the everyday cost of living and keep more of what they earn. We are helping more people provide for themselves – with 3 million more people in work compared to 2010. We have introduced the National Living Wage, doubled free childcare to help support parents with the cost of bringing up children and cut income tax, leaving a basic rate taxpayer over £1,000 better off every year than in 2010. We also continue to spend around £90 billion a year supporting people including those who are out of work or on a low income.</p><p> </p><p>We strongly support cutting VAT to zero on sanitary products and that is why the Finance Act 2016 included legislation to make this happen. However, we cannot do this under current EU law, so we are charging five per cent VAT – the lowest possible rate. We’re awarding £15 million a year to women’s charities through the Tampon Tax Fund – equivalent to the amount of VAT raised from the sale of women’s sanitary products. In the current round of Tampon Tax Funding, we have identified period poverty as a sub-theme in the general programme and have welcomed applications which address this issue.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 127000 question first answered 14/02/2018 15:03:05 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

837970

registered interest
date	06/02/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children and Young People: Period Poverty
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to reduce period poverty among 14 to 21 year olds.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	127000
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2018 answer text <p>No girl should be held back from reaching her potential because of her background or gender; this is why our current Sex and Relationships Education guidance encourages schools to make adequate and sensitive arrangements to help girls cope with menstruation.</p><p> </p><p>Schools are best placed to identify and address the needs of their pupils, and have discretion over how they use their funding and can make sanitary products available to disadvantaged pupils if they identify this as a barrier to attainment or attendance. We support schools in addressing the needs of disadvantaged pupils through the provision of the Pupil Premium, equivalent to almost £2.5 billion of additional funding this year alone. For students over 16, the 16-19 Bursary Fund can be used to support students from vulnerable groups and those who may face financial hardship to participate in education.</p><p>As a government, we are helping millions of families meet the everyday cost of living and keep more of what they earn. We are helping more people provide for themselves – with 3 million more people in work compared to 2010. We have introduced the National Living Wage, doubled free childcare to help support parents with the cost of bringing up children and cut income tax, leaving a basic rate taxpayer over £1,000 better off every year than in 2010. We also continue to spend around £90 billion a year supporting people including those who are out of work or on a low income.</p><p> </p><p>We strongly support cutting VAT to zero on sanitary products and that is why the Finance Act 2016 included legislation to make this happen. However, we cannot do this under current EU law, so we are charging five per cent VAT – the lowest possible rate. We’re awarding £15 million a year to women’s charities through the Tampon Tax Fund – equivalent to the amount of VAT raised from the sale of women’s sanitary products. In the current round of Tampon Tax Funding, we have identified period poverty as a sub-theme in the general programme and have welcomed applications which address this issue.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 126999 question first answered 14/02/2018 15:03:05 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

822866

registered interest
date	15/01/2018
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 provisions are in place to enable access to 30 hours of free childcare for parents working unusual and anti-social hours.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	122549
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The government is committed to ensuring that hardworking parents can access the flexible high-quality childcare they need, whilst protecting the wellbeing of children and ensuring a degree of stability for providers. Parents can stretch the offer to cover 52 weeks of the year and can take sessions over the weekend to cover a variety of working patterns.</p><p> </p><p>Our statutory guidance states that local authorities should ensure that parents and providers are aware that, subject to the standards set out in the guidance, there is no requirement that free places must be taken on or delivered on particular days of the week or at particular times of the day. They should also support parents to identify providers who can offer places on the days and at the times needed by the parent.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/01/2018 17:49:59 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

822868

registered interest
date	15/01/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Dyslexia
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to assist young people diagnosed with dyslexia to improve their writing skills for their A-level exams.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	122551
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>The reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) system introduced in 2014 benefit all children and young people who have SEND, including those with dyslexia. Building on 2013-16 funding, the Department for Education is funding the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) and partners in 2017-18, with £500,000 to facilitate better support for children with dyslexia. BDA resources include information on speech recognition software which converts speech to text.</p><p>The development of writing skills is already a fundamental part of the school curriculum. To support improvements in areas where standards are currently lower than average, we will be setting up a new Centre of Excellence for Literacy Teaching and a national network of 35 English Hubs.</p><p>Exam boards have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students who because of their disability would otherwise be at a substantial disadvantage when demonstrating their skills, knowledge and understanding in an assessment. Such reasonable adjustments may include having extra time, a scribe, reader, overlays, different fonts or size of fonts or the use of word processor. Reasonable adjustments are made for many thousands of students each year. The exam boards use an online system to streamline the process for seeking a reasonable adjustment.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/01/2018 17:45:43 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel