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1713330

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of school building conditions.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	902520
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2024 answer text <p>The government has compiled one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys of school building condition in Europe. The Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme is the first of its kind to help us understand the condition of the school estate, and target funding to where it is most needed. This programme ran from 2017 to 2019 and visited over 22,000 schools. The key findings from the first CDC programme is available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>A follow up programme, known as Condition Data Collection 2, is underway and has already visited over half of the government funded school and college estate in England. The programme is due to be completed by 2026.</p><p> </p><p>It is the responsibility of those who run schools – such as academy trusts and local authorities – who work with their schools day to day to manage maintenance and to alert the department if there is a serious concern with a building that cannot be managed independently. The department supports them by providing capital funding, delivering major rebuilding programmes and offering guidance and support.</p><p> </p><p>The department has allocated over £17 billion since 2015 for improving the condition of schools, including £1.8 billion announced for 2024/25. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme is transforming buildings at over 500 schools across England.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 29/04/2024 16:23:35 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1695337

registered interest
date	12/03/2024
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, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2023 to Question 165185 on Free School Meals, what the complex data, systems, financial and legal implications are of a government-led rollout of automatic enrolment for all eligible children.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	18079
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>​​​As previously communicated, the department has looked at auto-enrolment and considers there to be merit in local authorities exploring initiatives to maximise take up and to better understand the barriers that prevent such take up, whilst also ensuring adherence to legal and data protection constraints, which still remain an important consideration. These include constraints around data-sharing, as well as the need for families to make a claim for free school meals to be eligible under the current process.</p><p> </p><p>The department continues to engage with key stakeholders in this area, noting the methods currently being trialled across a number of local authorities to increase and maximise take up.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 19/03/2024 16:40:02 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1693943

registered interest
date	05/03/2024
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, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2023 to Question 165185 on Free School Meals, whether any complex data, systems, financial and legal implications are still a barrier to the rollout of auto-enrolment.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	17089
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>Maximising the take up of free school meals is important in ensuring that as many eligible children as possible benefit from a healthy and nutritious meal. The department aims to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility.</p><p>To support this, an Eligibility Checking System has been provided to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities.</p><p>The department has looked at auto-enrolment and considers there to be merit in local authorities exploring initiatives to maximise take up and to better understand the barriers that prevent such take up, whilst ensuring adherence to legal and data protection constraints, which still remains an important consideration.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 11/03/2024 12:12:32 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1679367

registered interest
date	05/01/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Concrete
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of RAAC in schools on the coursework results of those studying creative subjects at (a) GCSE, (b) A-level and (c) T-level.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	7869
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2024 answer text <p>The safety of staff and pupils is paramount, and the department has been working at pace with schools to identify RAAC and support them to minimise disruption to pupils’ education.</p><p> </p><p>The department is working closely with affected schools to ensure the best possible education for pupils and taking every step possible to remove any obstacles to learning through mitigations including temporary accommodation where this is needed and in some instances use of specialist facilities in off-site accommodation.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside Ofqual, the department has worked with awarding organisations to help facilitate discussions with affected schools. The department has asked awarding organisations to be as flexible as possible in agreeing longer extensions for coursework and non-examined assessment, including for creative subjects, so that schools have as much time as possible to complete this important part of pupils' learning and qualifications.</p><p> </p><p>If schools and colleges are experiencing difficulties in delivering particular GCSE, A level or T Level assessments, due to certain facilities being out of use due to RAAC or have any concerns about exams and assessments themselves being disrupted, they should speak to the relevant awarding organisation. Only the relevant awarding organisation will be able to confirm what can be done in any specific context and the specific options available.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 7870 question first answered 10/01/2024 12:10:39 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1679368

registered interest
date	05/01/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Concrete
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with Ofqual on the inclusion of the impact of RAAC in schools in mitigating circumstances guidelines.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	7870
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2024 answer text <p>The safety of staff and pupils is paramount, and the department has been working at pace with schools to identify RAAC and support them to minimise disruption to pupils’ education.</p><p> </p><p>The department is working closely with affected schools to ensure the best possible education for pupils and taking every step possible to remove any obstacles to learning through mitigations including temporary accommodation where this is needed and in some instances use of specialist facilities in off-site accommodation.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside Ofqual, the department has worked with awarding organisations to help facilitate discussions with affected schools. The department has asked awarding organisations to be as flexible as possible in agreeing longer extensions for coursework and non-examined assessment, including for creative subjects, so that schools have as much time as possible to complete this important part of pupils' learning and qualifications.</p><p> </p><p>If schools and colleges are experiencing difficulties in delivering particular GCSE, A level or T Level assessments, due to certain facilities being out of use due to RAAC or have any concerns about exams and assessments themselves being disrupted, they should speak to the relevant awarding organisation. Only the relevant awarding organisation will be able to confirm what can be done in any specific context and the specific options available.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 7869 question first answered 10/01/2024 12:10:39 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1679369

registered interest
date	05/01/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Concrete
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 estimate of the amount of physical learning time lost by pupils studying creative subjects in schools affected by RAAC in the last four months.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	7871
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2024 answer text <p>An updated list of schools and colleges with confirmed cases of RAAC was published on 6 December, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reinforced-autoclaved-aerated-concrete-raac-management-information.</p><p> </p><p>As of 27 November, there are 231 education settings with confirmed RAAC in some of their buildings. At the time of publication, three schools had hybrid arrangements in place, of which two are now in full time face-to-face education for all pupils and we expect the remaining school to be back in the near future. There were no education settings with confirmed RAAC where all pupils are in full-time remote learning.</p><p> </p><p>Where the presence of RAAC is confirmed, responsible bodies and schools are expected to ensure that face-to-face learning continues as a priority. The department will support them to do this through dedicated caseworker teams.</p><p> </p><p>Each school or college with confirmed RAAC is assigned dedicated support from a team of caseworkers, who work with schools and colleges to assess what support is needed and implement mitigation plans that are right for them. A bespoke plan is put in place to ensure that each school and college receives the support that suits its circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Where some short-term disruption is inevitable, all available measures will be taken to minimise disruption to teaching and return pupils to face-to-face teaching as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><p>As all cases are different and the support each school or college receive is bespoke, identifying the number of pupils affected is not reflective of the reality for affected cases.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 11/01/2024 12:04:17 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1665124

registered interest
date	16/10/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Admir Abrija
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the transparency data entitled Ministry of Justice data: ministers hospitality, gifts, travel and meetings, January 2023 to March 2023, updated on 20 July 2023, what (a) was discussed at and (b) the actions were following the meeting with the Albanian prison director on the 21 March 2023.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	202817
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2023 answer text <p>A new Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Albania came into force in May 2022. A meeting between the Director General for prisons and the Minister for Prisons took place on 21 March 2023 where they discussed the Prisoner Transfer Agreement between the UK and Albania and Albania’s prison reform plans.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 23/10/2023 16:38:14 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1665126

registered interest
date	16/10/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Officers: Working Hours
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of prison officers attended their shifts at (a) HMP Huntercombe, (b) HMP Maidstone and (c) HMP Morton Hall on 1 September 2023.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	202819
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2023 answer text <p>Information on the number of Band 3 prison officers who were on duty in the prison on that day at HMP Huntercombe, HMP Maidstone and HMP Morton Hall on 1 September 2023, together with the reasons for absence, are set out in the table below:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Attendance</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Huntercombe</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Maidstone</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Morton Hall</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>On duty</p></td><td><p>48</p></td><td><p>55</p></td><td><p>44</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Annual Leave</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Training</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sick Absence</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Absences</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It should be noted that these figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.</p><p>The figures for those who were on duty in the prison on that day include all staff who attended for all or part of a shift, including any additional-payment shifts and night duties. Those recorded in the category of ‘Other Absences’ can include staff attending medical appointments, and those on restricted duties, phased return, secondment, maternity leave, jury service, official duty, parental leave, suspension or bed watch, as well as any working at a different grade, taking time off in lieu or working remotely.</p><p>We have taken a series of measures to increase the prison workforce. Despite a challenging labour market, the 12 months ending 30 June 2023 saw an increase of 701 Full-Time-Equivalent Band 3-5 prison officers. This means we now have 4,000 more prison officers than in March 2017. We are committed to recruiting up to 5,000 prison officers across public and private prisons by the mid-2020s.</p><p>We recently increased the pay of the vast majority of frontline officers by 7 per cent. Combined with other pay rises, this means starting pay for prison officers has increased since 2019 from £22,293 to £30,902 (on the basis of a national rate, 37-hour week with unsocial hours) or £23,529 to £32,851 (on the basis of a national rate, 39-hour week with unsocial hours).</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 26/10/2023 07:39:47 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1665127

registered interest
date	16/10/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Accommodation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the certified normal capacity is at (a) HMP Huntercombe, (b) HMP Maidstone and (c) HMP Morton Hall.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	202820
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2023 answer text <p>The population, operational capacity and certified normal accommodation (CNA) level of every prison is published monthly: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prison-population-figures-2023" target="_blank">Prison population figures: 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p><p>HMP Huntercombe, HMP Maidstone and HMP Morton Hall are the three foreign national offenders (FNO) only prisons within HMPPS. They hold only those of interest to the Home Office with between 3 and 36 months left to serve. They include embedded Home Office staff with better access to FNOs to facilitate effective deportations.</p><p>The table below provides the operational capacity and certified normal accommodation level at (a) HMP Huntercombe, (b) HMP Maidstone and (c) HMP Morton Hall on 16 October 2023.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>CNA</p></td><td><p>Operational Capacity</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Huntercombe</p></td><td><p>369</p></td><td><p>480</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maidstone</p></td><td><p>565</p></td><td><p>613</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Morton Hall</p></td><td><p>353</p></td><td><p>353</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The Operational Capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime. It is determined by the Prison Group Directors on the basis of operational judgement and experience.</p><p>We are committed to increasing the number of FNOs removed from our prisons, and all FNOs sentenced to custody are referred to us at the earliest opportunity to be considered for deportation.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 24/10/2023 16:41:01 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

1665128

registered interest
date	16/10/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Accommodation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many rapid deployment cells are (a) in place and (b) planned at (i) HMP Huntercombe, (ii) HMP Maidstone and (iii) HMP Morton Hall.
tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
uin	202821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/10/2023 answer text <p>We are delivering 40 Rapid Deployment Cells at HMP Huntercombe. Units were deployed at the site in September 2023 and essential works are ongoing to get the units ready for occupation. First prisoners are expected to occupy the units from early January 2024.</p><p>There is no current plan to deliver Rapid Deployment Cells at HMP Maidstone or HMP Morton Hall.</p><p>The Rapid Deployment Cells Project is a key element of the HMPPS Programme to create short-term prison places and this project has a clear strategic goal to deliver additional places at prisons across the country, whilst long-term capacity is built.</p><p>We will continue to explore where Rapid Deployment Cells could potentially be deployed at prisons across the estate.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 24/10/2023 16:35:11 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson