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1126911

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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 assessment his Department has made of the financial sustainability of local government children’s services.
	tabling member constituency	Knowsley
	tabling member printed	Mr George Howarth
	uin	254748
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>Funding for children’s services is made available through the Local Government Finance Settlement. We are in the final year of a multi-year settlement deal and have made £46.4 billion available this year for local services including those for children’s services. The government has also made £410 million available to local authorities this year specifically for adult and children social care.</p><p>My department is working with the sector, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and with HM Treasury, as part of our preparation for the next Spending Review, to understand the level of funding local government needs to meet demand and deliver statutory duties.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/05/2019 09:57:46 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth

1127505

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	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, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial assistance to enable (a) low-income and (b) single-unit families to cover childcare costs during the school summer holidays.
	tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
	tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
	uin	256327
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>The government has taken significant steps to raise the living standards of low-income and single-unit families. This includes raising the minimum wage, raising the personal tax allowance and improving financial incentives to work.</p><p>To support parents into work, the government spends £6 billion on childcare each year:</p><ul><li>Doubling free childcare to 30 hours a week for nearly 400,000 working parents of 3 and 4-year olds.</li><li>Introducing tax-free childcare, worth up to £2,000 per child per year.</li><li>With Universal Credit, parents can claim up to 85% of their childcare costs back compared to 70% on the legacy benefit system.</li></ul><p>We recently announced £9 million of funding for the 2019 summer holidays where we will be exploring how the local coordination of the provision of nutritious food and enriching and healthy activities can help more disadvantaged pupils to access free high quality holiday club provision during the school holidays in 11 areas across the country.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 28/05/2019 14:08:14 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1127602

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	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, how many adopted children have (a) a child in need plan and (b) a child protection plan.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	256376
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally in the form requested. The department publishes information on the number of children who have ceased to be looked after through adoption or under a special guardianship order each year in table D1 of the Statistical Release ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions: 2017 to 2018’, available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>.</p><p>This data does not include information on children in need or child protection plans. Information on children in need and child protection plans is collected separately as part of the children in need census.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 256377 question first answered 28/05/2019 14:24:16 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1127604

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	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, how many children cared for under a special guardianship order have (a) a child in need plan and (b) a child protection plan.
	tabling member constituency	South Shields
	tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
	uin	256377
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally in the form requested. The department publishes information on the number of children who have ceased to be looked after through adoption or under a special guardianship order each year in table D1 of the Statistical Release ‘Children looked after in England including adoptions: 2017 to 2018’, available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>.</p><p>This data does not include information on children in need or child protection plans. Information on children in need and child protection plans is collected separately as part of the children in need census.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 256376 question first answered 28/05/2019 14:24:16 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1127629

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Food Banks
	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 schools in England and Wales that have opened foodbanks on their premises.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	256239
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally. The department does not collect information on the number of schools in England and Wales that have opened foodbanks on their premises.</p><p>We know that the reasons for people using food banks are varied and many. We will continue to reform the welfare system so that it encourages work whilst supporting those who need help – an approach that is based on clear evidence that work offers families the best opportunity to get out of poverty. This government continues to spend over £95 billion a year on working age welfare benefits for those who need them.</p><p>The provision of a healthy meal for children from households who are out of work or on low incomes is of the upmost importance to the government. We want to make sure as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming their free school meals (FSM), and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. Over 1.1million of the most disadvantaged children are eligible for and claiming FSM, this saves families hundreds of pounds each year.</p><p>We have recently announced an additional £9.1 million will be spent ensuring the most disadvantaged children in 11 local authority areas will benefit from healthy food and enriching activities in the 2019 summer holidays. My department is also investing up to £26 million to the National Schools Breakfast Programme, to kick-start or improve breakfast clubs in over 1,700 schools in the most disadvantaged areas of the country.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/05/2019 11:40:11 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1127643

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Academies: Disclosure of Information
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of whistleblowing policies throughout academy trusts.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	256304
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>​The department requires a high level of accountability and transparency of academy trusts. Academy trust accountability is founded on a clear framework communicated and regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), through trusts’ funding agreement and the Academies Financial Handbook.</p><p> </p><p>The Academies Financial Handbook requires that all academy trusts have appropriate whistleblowing procedures in place. Academy trusts must also ensure that all concerns raised with them by whistleblowers are responded to properly and fairly. Whistleblowers can also report allegations of fraud or financial irregularity to the ESFA. The ESFA has published guidance about how to report such allegations, the actions the ESFA will take when it receives an allegation and the rights of whistleblowers.</p><p> </p><p>The guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 256305 question first answered 23/05/2019 11:46:09 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1127644

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Academies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to help ensure staff working for academy trusts can raise concerns about schools' governance.
	tabling member constituency	Wirral South
	tabling member printed	Alison McGovern
	uin	256305
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>​The department requires a high level of accountability and transparency of academy trusts. Academy trust accountability is founded on a clear framework communicated and regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), through trusts’ funding agreement and the Academies Financial Handbook.</p><p> </p><p>The Academies Financial Handbook requires that all academy trusts have appropriate whistleblowing procedures in place. Academy trusts must also ensure that all concerns raised with them by whistleblowers are responded to properly and fairly. Whistleblowers can also report allegations of fraud or financial irregularity to the ESFA. The ESFA has published guidance about how to report such allegations, the actions the ESFA will take when it receives an allegation and the rights of whistleblowers.</p><p> </p><p>The guidance is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity/how-esfa-handles-allegations-of-suspected-fraud-or-financial-irregularity</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 256304 question first answered 23/05/2019 11:46:09 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4083 label Biography information for Alison McGovern

1127780

	registered interest
	date	21/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children's Play
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons children’s play is not prioritized in the five foundations for building character.
	tabling member constituency	Totnes
	tabling member printed	Dr Sarah Wollaston
	uin	257060
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>World-class education is not only about having the highest standards in academic and technical education, it also means ensuring that education builds character and resilience.</p><p>We want all children and young people to have opportunities to develop the key character traits of believing that they can achieve, being able to stick with the task in hand, seeing a link between effort today and reward in the future, and being able to bounce back from the knocks that life inevitably brings to all of us. Character must also be grounded in positive values such as kindness, generosity, fairness, tolerance and integrity.</p><p>The 5 Foundations for Building Character announced on 7 February by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education are sport, creativity, performing, volunteering and membership, and the world of work. Each of these areas covers a very wide range of activities that children and young people can enjoy doing. In developing key character traits, research suggests that high-quality delivery of the 5 foundations should take a structured approach, occur over a sustained period of time, and be self-directed by the child or young person. Through the support of teachers, coaches or other professionals, children and young people are more likely to receive a higher level of challenge and develop the traits that can help them achieve their goals.</p><p>Play can provide benefits to children and young people through physical activity and promotion of wellbeing, but the audit of the availability of out-of-school activities across the country does not currently include playing outside as that activity does not provide the structured and high quality elements that are required in character building activities as proposed in the 5 Foundations for Building Character.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 257062 question first answered 28/05/2019 14:13:39 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4073 label Biography information for Dr Sarah Wollaston

1127782

	registered interest
	date	21/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Extracurricular Activities: Children's Play
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the audit of out of school activities will include playing outside.
	tabling member constituency	Totnes
	tabling member printed	Dr Sarah Wollaston
	uin	257062
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>World-class education is not only about having the highest standards in academic and technical education, it also means ensuring that education builds character and resilience.</p><p>We want all children and young people to have opportunities to develop the key character traits of believing that they can achieve, being able to stick with the task in hand, seeing a link between effort today and reward in the future, and being able to bounce back from the knocks that life inevitably brings to all of us. Character must also be grounded in positive values such as kindness, generosity, fairness, tolerance and integrity.</p><p>The 5 Foundations for Building Character announced on 7 February by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education are sport, creativity, performing, volunteering and membership, and the world of work. Each of these areas covers a very wide range of activities that children and young people can enjoy doing. In developing key character traits, research suggests that high-quality delivery of the 5 foundations should take a structured approach, occur over a sustained period of time, and be self-directed by the child or young person. Through the support of teachers, coaches or other professionals, children and young people are more likely to receive a higher level of challenge and develop the traits that can help them achieve their goals.</p><p>Play can provide benefits to children and young people through physical activity and promotion of wellbeing, but the audit of the availability of out-of-school activities across the country does not currently include playing outside as that activity does not provide the structured and high quality elements that are required in character building activities as proposed in the 5 Foundations for Building Character.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 257060 question first answered 28/05/2019 14:13:39 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4073 label Biography information for Dr Sarah Wollaston

1127816

	registered interest
	date	21/05/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	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 children in unregistered children's homes in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
	tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
	uin	257079
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p><p>Information on the placements of children looked-after is collected annually and published in the statistical release “Children looked after in England (including adoptions): 2017 to 2018”. The latest release is available on the department’s statistical web page at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018</a>. Previous releases can be located here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-looked-after-children</a>.</p><p>Any child specifically placed in unregistered provision could be reported across a number of placement categories, but not exclusively in any, so we can not estimate the number of children placed within unregistered homes.</p><p>Unregulated accommodation can be the right option for some older children in care and care leavers aged 16 or 17, providing a stepping-stone towards moving into an independent tenancy.</p><p>However, I want a better understanding of the use of this type of provision and have commissioned a piece of research to understand the issues related to the use of unregistered and unregulated provision. Sir Alan Wood, in his role as chair of the Residential Care Leadership Board, will oversee this work, which will develop our understanding of the reasons for local authorities placing children in these settings and their quality. I visited some unregulated provision on 23 May to further my knowledge of this type of accommodation.</p><p>In May, I wrote to all Directors of Children’s Services asking them to ensure that the accommodation they use is suitable; and to ensure that young people are getting the support they need.</p><p>I take providing appropriate support to young people in care and leaving care very seriously. That is why the government is funding local authorities to implement ‘Staying Put’, which allows care leavers to stay with their foster carer up to the age of 21, and piloting ‘Staying Closer’ in 8 local authorities, which provides an enhanced support offer for young people leaving residential care.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 04/06/2019 13:06:05 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner