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1718813

registered interest
date	16/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Nurseries: Leeds
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on making funding available to Leeds City Council to ensure the continuation of Little Owls nursery provision.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North East
tabling member printed	Fabian Hamilton
uin	26664
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2024 answer text <p>The department funds local authorities to deliver the early years entitlements. Local authorities are then responsible for funding early years providers at a local level, setting individual provider funding rates in consultation with their providers and schools forum, and fund providers using their local funding formula.</p><p> </p><p>Local authorities receive their government funding via the early years block of the Dedicated Schools Grant. For 2024/25, Leeds local authority’s indicative allocation for delivering the early years entitlements is £96,966,731, which has increased from £63,075,651.</p><p> </p><p>The department maintain a regular dialogue with local authorities, who are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. Leeds City Council has not informed the department of any current sufficiency issues in its area.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 21/05/2024 16:44:58 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	415 label Biography information for Fabian Hamilton

1718881

registered interest
date	16/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Carers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on the implementation of the National Kinship Care Strategy.
tabling member constituency	Mid Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Alistair Strathern
uin	26804
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2024 answer text <p>‘Championing Kinship Care’, which was published on 15 December 2023, sets out the department’s vision for a future kinship care system and how kinship carers can be better supported, so that more children can thrive. The department is investing £20 million of funding in 2024/25 to help move towards a children’s social care system with kinship at its heart.</p><p> </p><p>The department will launch a Pathfinder programme in 2024 in up to eight local authorities to provide special guardian kinship carers, who care for previously looked after children, with a financial allowance to be paid at the same rate as foster care. This programme will be backed by an investment of £16 million in 2024/25 and the department will explore expanding eligibility to broader cohorts of kinship carers and all local authorities in the future, subject to the findings of our evaluation. The department is currently working through the criteria for the eight local authorities, and will share further information on the Pathfinder in the coming months.</p><p> </p><p>The department also announced £3.8 million in 2024/25 to expand the role of Virtual School Heads to specifically include championing the education, attendance and attainment of children in kinship care. Local authority funding allocations were published in March 2024 and the role extension will come into effect from September 2024.</p><p> </p><p>The department is also delivering a package of training and support that all kinship carers across England can access if they wish to within this Spending Review period. The department is pleased to confirm the charity Kinship as the successful training partner and that the service went live in April 2024.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 21/05/2024 16:45:51 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	5000 label Biography information for Alistair Strathern

1718882

registered interest
date	16/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Social Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on the implementation of the financial allowance pathfinder.
tabling member constituency	Mid Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Alistair Strathern
uin	26805
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2024 answer text <p>The department will launch a Pathfinder programme in 2024 in up to eight local authorities to provide special guardian kinship carers, who care for previously looked after children, with a financial allowance to be paid at the same rate as foster care. This programme will be backed by an investment of £16 million in 2024/25 and the department will explore expanding eligibility to broader cohorts of kinship carers and all local authorities in the future, subject to the findings of our evaluation. Local authority selection will take place this year. The department will also work with an evaluation partner to make sure that the programme can provide robust evidence for future rollout. The department will share further information on the Pathfinder in the coming months.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 21/05/2024 16:46:40 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	5000 label Biography information for Alistair Strathern

1718883

registered interest
date	16/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Social Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to announce the eight local authorities selected for the financial allowance pathfinder.
tabling member constituency	Mid Bedfordshire
tabling member printed	Alistair Strathern
uin	26806
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2024 answer text <p>The department will launch a Pathfinder programme in 2024 in up to eight local authorities to provide special guardian kinship carers, who care for previously looked after children, with a financial allowance to be paid at the same rate as foster care. This programme will be backed by an investment of £16 million in 2024/25 and the department will explore expanding eligibility to broader cohorts of kinship carers and all local authorities in the future, subject to the findings of our evaluation. Local authority selection will take place this year. The department will also work with an evaluation partner to make sure the programme can provide robust evidence for future rollout. The department will share further information on the Pathfinder in the coming months.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 21/05/2024 16:47:24 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	5000 label Biography information for Alistair Strathern

1717518

registered interest
date	13/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: VSC Plus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Minister without Portfolio's article of 12 May 2024 in The Sunday Telegraph, when her Department intends to withdraw the requirement set out in Clause 4.6 of her Department's contract with VSC Plus Limited (The Staff College), procurement reference 352575/1322575; and whether the projected cost of the contract up to 29 December 2028 will be reduced through the withdrawal of that requirement.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	25811
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>There should be no external equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) spend in the Civil Service unless cleared and authorised by Ministers. <br> <br> The contract with VSC Plus Limited (The Staff College) is due to expire on 31 December 2026. We do not intend to terminate it early.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 23/05/2024 14:33:19 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1716497

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Mental Health Services and Special Educational Needs: Morley and Outwood
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken for children to receive (a) SEN assessments and (b) mental health treatment in Morley and Outwood constituency.
tabling member constituency	Morley and Outwood
tabling member printed	Dame Andrea Jenkyns
uin	25278
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2024 answer text <p>The department wants to ensure that Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments, where required, are conducted as quickly as possible, so that children and young people can access the support they need. In March 2023, the government set out its plans to reform and improve the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system through its SEND and alternative provision (AP) Improvement Plan. The plan commits to establishing a single national system that delivers for every child and young person with SEND, so that they enjoy their childhood, achieve good outcomes and are well prepared for adulthood and employment. Wakefield, Leeds, Calderdale and Bradford are in the SEND Change Programme, representing the Yorkshire and Humber region, to test these reforms. Specifically, these reforms focus on early intervention, improving the quality of EHC plans, streamlining the EHC plan process, reducing conflicts within the EHC plan system through better co-production and ultimately enhancing outcomes for children and young people.</p><p>The mental health of children is a national priority for this government and the department recognises that some children will need specialist support for their mental health issues. The department is supporting children and young people nationally, including those in the Morley and Outwood area, in the expansion and transformation of mental health services through an increase in spending through the NHS overall, as well as improved access to early mental health support.</p><p>To expand access to early mental health support, the department is continuing to roll out Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to schools and colleges. As of April 2024, MHSTs now covers 44% of pupils in schools and learners in further education in England. The department is extending coverage of MHSTs to at least 50% of pupils and learners by the end of March 2025.</p><p>The department has also committed to offering all state schools and colleges a grant to train a senior mental health lead by 2025, enabling them to introduce effective whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing. So far 16,700 settings have claimed a grant so far, including more than 8 in 10 state-funded secondary schools.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 16/05/2024 10:04:01 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4490 label Biography information for Dame Andrea Jenkyns

1716561

registered interest
date	08/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Bullying
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many incidents of ethnicity-based bullying within schools were reported to her Department in the last 12 months; and what steps her Department is taking to help tackle such incidents.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham East
tabling member printed	Nadia Whittome
uin	25397
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>There is no legal requirement on schools to record and report incidents of bullying and there never has been. Schools should develop their own approaches for monitoring bullying and exercise their own judgement as to what will work best for their pupils.</p><p> </p><p>All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment and are held to account by Ofsted.</p><p> </p><p>In July 2017, the department updated its advice for schools, which outlines schools’ responsibilities to support children who are bullied. The advice makes clear that schools should make appropriate provision for a bullied child's social, emotional and mental health needs. This advice is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The department provided over £3 million of funding, between 10 August 2021 and 31 March 2024, to five anti-bullying organisations to support schools to tackle bullying. This included projects targeting bullying of particular groups, such as those who are victims of hate related bullying.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 14/05/2024 14:20:07 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4869 label Biography information for Nadia Whittome

1716231

registered interest
date	07/05/2024
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, pursuant to the Answer of 18 April to Question 20456 on Special Educational Needs: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Counci, what estimate her Department has made of the number of local authorities that are not delivering their education, health and care function as a result of constraints upon the general fund.
tabling member constituency	Stockport
tabling member printed	Navendu Mishra
uin	25087
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>Responsibility for local authority funding lies with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).</p><p>Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have special educational needs that require an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. EHC plans must be issued within twenty weeks of the needs assessment commencing so that children and young people can access the support they need.</p><p>In 2022, 49.2% of EHC plans were issued within the twenty week time limit. Where local authorities are failing to deliver, the department works with them using a range of improvement programmes and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialist advisers to address weaknesses. The department is also putting in place measures such as developing new national standards and a standardised EHC plan process to improve the SEND system so that, where an EHC plan is needed, they can be issued as quickly as possible to ensure children and young people can access the support they need.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 13/05/2024 16:33:30 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4811 label Biography information for Navendu Mishra

1715855

registered interest
date	03/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Confucius Institutes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 27 April 2023 to Question 182232 on Confucius Institutes, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the Chinese authorities of maintaining the Confucius Institutes in the UK in 2023/24.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	24741
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2024 answer text <p>The department does not hold this information.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 09/05/2024 15:55:10 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1715615

registered interest
date	02/05/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Care Homes: Lancashire
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for trends in the number of new children’s residential homes that have been established in Lancashire.
tabling member constituency	Fylde
tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
uin	24651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2024 answer text <p>It is the decision of children’s homes providers to decide on the location and type of building that they wish to use to accommodate children in care. As part of Ofsted’s registration process, children’s homes providers are required to undertake a location assessment, which must show the steps that have been taken to ensure the location is safe and promotes positive opportunities for children. The department recognises the need to ensure there are the right children’s homes in the right places.</p><p> </p><p>As announced in the Spring Budget 2023, the department is continuing to invest in the children’s homes market to provide high quality, safe homes for some of the most vulnerable children and young people in all nine regions of England.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to taking forward the recommendations made by the Care Review and the Competition and Markets Authority, the department is also developing proposals on what more can be done to combat profiteering, bring down costs and create a more sustainable market for residential placements.</p><p> </p><p>The department is developing options regarding the planning of children’s homes and thanks Fylde Council colleagues for their continued engagement in this process.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 09/05/2024 16:44:20 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies