Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1064698

registered interest
date	21/02/2019
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 steps his Department is taking to (a) improve affordability and (b) reduce complexity for parents to access childcare support for people in low-income families.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	224323
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>The government provides significant support to help families with childcare affordability, including:</p><ul><li>15 hours of free childcare a week for all 3 and 4-year-olds, worth around £2,500 a year on average.</li><li>15 hours of free childcare a week for disadvantaged 2-year olds, i.e. all those families in receipt of Universal Credit (UC), with an annual net earned income equivalent to or less than £15,400; families in receipt of benefits that currently qualify them for free school meals; those receiving working tax credits (with an annual gross household income of no more than £16,190); and children entitled to certain benefits or support for a disability or special educational need, looked-after children and certain children who have been in care, including those who have been adopted.</li><li>30 hours of free childcare a week, for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds. 30 hours is available to families where both parents are working (or the sole parent is working in a lone parent family), and each parent earns a weekly minimum equivalent to 16 hours at national minimum wage or living wage. This also includes self-employed parents.</li><li>Childcare vouchers provided through some employers, allowing parents to save money by paying for childcare from their pre-tax salary.</li><li>Help with up to 70% of childcare costs for people on low incomes through working tax credits, which in April 2016 increased to 85% through UC, subject to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1108 for 2 or more children.</li><li>Tax-free childcare, for which 1.5 million families who have childcare costs will be eligible. For every £8 parents pay into an online account, the government will pay £2 – up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year, for children aged under 12. Parents of disabled children will receive extra support (worth up to £4,000 per child, each year and until their child is 17).</li></ul><p>To reduce complexity, the government has introduced a childcare calculator, which parents can use to identify which of the childcare offers they may be entitled to. There is also the childcare choices and GOV.UK websites, which provides detailed information about all of the government’s childcare offers and how parents can apply. Local authorities also have a statutory duty to provide parents with information, advice and guidance on their websites about how these childcare offers can be accessed locally.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 17:20:53 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1064752

registered interest
date	21/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Carers
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 ensure that young carers are identified and adequately supported through their schooling.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
uin	224306
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>The government is committed to supporting children and young people to improve their health and wellbeing, and to protect them from excessive or inappropriate caring responsibilities that can impact on their education.</p><p>The cross-government ‘Carers Action Plan’ (published June 2018), a 2 year programme of tailored work to support unpaid carers of all ages, aims to improve the identification of young carers; improving their educational opportunities and outcomes; providing support to young carers, particularly to vulnerable children; and improving access to services. The Children in Need review is also identifying how to spread best practice on raising educational outcomes.</p><p>The Department for Education provides schools with £2.4 billion each year in additional funding through the pupil premium to support disadvantaged pupils. Each eligible pupil attracts £1,320 to primary schools and £935 to secondary schools. Eligibility for the pupil premium is based largely on current or past claims for free school meals. Some research with young carers aged 14-16 suggested that around 60% already attract the pupil premium through their eligibility for free school meals.</p><p>We expect schools to make effective use of their pupil premium and do not tell them how to use it. Schools know their pupils best and will spend the grant to meet pupil needs, which may include needs arising from a caring role. Schools are held to account for their pupil premium use through school inspection and information in performance tables, and most schools are required to publish details about their pupil premium strategy and its impact.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 12:09:13 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1064766

registered interest
date	21/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Staff
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 ensure the recruitment of adequate numbers of Special Educational Needs Coordinators.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	224492
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>Every mainstream school and academy must have a Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) who is a qualified teacher. The recruitment of SENCOs is the responsibility of individual schools.</p><p> </p><p>On 28 January 2019, we published the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy and launched the Early Career Framework, which provides the starting point for a review of Initial Teacher Training content.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Whole Schools’ SEND consortium, led by nasen, are delivering a 2 year programme of work. The aim is to embed special educational need and disability within the school led system of school improvement in order to equip the workforce to deliver high quality teaching across all types of special educational needs (SEN). Part of that work is to undertake a review of the learning outcomes of the mandatory Masters level National Award in SEN Coordination to ensure that the qualification reflects the changing needs of the educational system. A report is due in the spring.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 12:07:55 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1064307

registered interest
date	20/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Child Trust Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding he has allocated to the Share Foundation's recovery programmes for Child Trust Fund accounts.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	223788
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>The Department for Education has provided the Share Foundation with funding totalling £531,624 for administering the Junior Individual Savings Accounts scheme for children in care and care leavers. It does not provide funding for recovery programmes for Child Trust Funds.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 15:45:04 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

1064460

registered interest
date	20/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Social Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what risk assessments his Department has made on proposals to place social workers in schools in the local authority areas of (a) Southampton, (b) Stockport and (c) Lambeth.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	223985
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>Southampton, Stockport and Lambeth have received funding from the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care to test having social workers in schools. As part of the application process the local authorities were required to provide the What Works Centre with information about key risks to delivery and the contingencies they would undertake to mitigate them. The local authorities provided their assessment as part of the application and these continue to be reviewed through project monitoring.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 16:07:18 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 104207 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1063972

registered interest
date	19/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which Minister is responsible for children's play services; and what steps the Government is taking on ensuring that the UK upholds Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the right to play.
tabling member constituency	Lancaster and Fleetwood
tabling member printed	Cat Smith
uin	223144
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>I am the Minister responsible for early years and childcare policy.</p><p>The UK government remains fully committed to children’s rights and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and I reaffirmed our commitment in my Written Ministerial Statement on 20 November 2018.</p><p>The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework sets the regulatory standards for ‘learning and development’ and ‘safeguarding and welfare’ requirements for all early years providers caring for children from birth to 5. The framework defines 7 areas of learning and development and is clear that each area must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.</p><p>The EYFS Statutory Framework is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 16:05:43 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 104144 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4436 label Biography information for Cat Smith

1064052

registered interest
date	19/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Free School Meals
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 increasing the payment to providers for universal free infant school meals above the current rate of £2.30 per meal which has applied since 2014.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	223250
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>The £2.30 per meal rate that we provide to schools to fund universal infant free school meals was set at the last Spending Review in 2015. The rate is based on the School Food Trust’s survey estimate of the average cost of a primary school meal, and on discussion with stakeholders and school food experts.</p><p>Decisions about school funding beyond 2020 will be taken at the next Spending Review in 2019.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 15:41:32 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 104290 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1064081

registered interest
date	19/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pre-school Education: Free School Meals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to assess the effect of the universal free infant school meals policy on (a) school standards and (b) pupils' wellbeing since its introduction in 2014.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	223481
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>We spend around £600 million every year ensuring 1.5 million infants in reception, year 1 and year 2 receive a free, nutritious meal at lunchtime. This ensures pupils are well nourished, develop healthy eating habits and can concentrate and learn.</p><p>We know that a balanced and nutritious meal, which includes vegetables and fruit, is good for the health and well-being of children. By showing that more children are eating a school meal we are confident that our universal infant free school meal (UIFSM) policy is having a positive impact on children. We expect UIFSMs to bring longer term benefits for children’s health by instilling early in life healthy eating habits which will be carried forward into later years.</p><p>Shared mealtimes are great for learning to talk, behave, take turns, be polite and share. Schools trialling free school meals in advance of the policy being introduced reported better behaviour and a nicer atmosphere as a result of pupils eating together every day.</p><p>Since 2010 we’ve been reforming education and driving up school standards. 1.9 million more children are now being taught in good and outstanding schools than were in 2010, thanks in part to our reforms.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 15:44:04 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 104307 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1064094

registered interest
date	19/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Soft Drinks: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will ensure that under the comprehensive spending review at least the same level of revenue from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy is allocated to (a) the continuation of the healthy pupils capital fund and (b) other schemes for the improvement of children’s health.
tabling member constituency	Dulwich and West Norwood
tabling member printed	Helen Hayes
uin	223505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>Budget 2016 announced funding for a number of programmes linked to the revenue from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. The department will receive £575 million during the current Spending Review period. Funding for 2020-21 onwards will be considered at the next Spending Review.</p><p>£100 million of revenue generated from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy is being used for the Healthy Pupils Capital Fund. This one-year fund for 2018-19 is intended to improve children’s and young people’s physical and mental health by enhancing access to facilities for physical activity, healthy eating, mental health and wellbeing and medical conditions. These facilities include kitchens, dining facilities, changing rooms, playgrounds and sports facilities. There are no plans for the Healthy Pupils Capital Fund to continue beyond 2018-19.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 26/02/2019 16:06:11 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 104190 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4510 label Biography information for Helen Hayes

1063640

registered interest
date	18/02/2019
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, whether his Department plans to allocate further supplementary funding to maintained nursery schools after 2019-20.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	222627
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>Maintained nursery schools make a valuable contribution to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).</p><p>Maintained nursery schools experience costs over and above those of other early years providers. That is why we are providing local authorities with around £60 million a year in supplementary funding to enable them to protect maintained nursery schools’ funding.</p><p>This arrangement is due to end in March 2020, and what happens after that will be determined by the next Spending Review. Owing to uncertainty over the exact date of the Spending Review, we are considering how best to handle transitional arrangements for a number of areas, including maintained nursery schools.</p><p>Local funding decisions are a matter for the relevant local authority. We are clear that it would be premature for local authorities to make decisions about the future of their maintained nursery schools before the Spending Review outcomes are published.</p><p> </p><p>There is a presumption against the closure of maintained nursery schools. This does not mean that they will never close, but when they do, local authorities have a statutory requirement to ensure that alternative provision: is of at least equal quality; maintains expertise and specialism; and is more accessible and convenient for local parents.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 222629 222630 222631 222632 question first answered 21/02/2019 12:52:09 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson