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1088351

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2019
	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 he has made of the correlation between funding for children’s services between 2010-11 and 2017-18 and the number of (a) referrals to children’s services, (b) re-referrals within 12 months, (c) children in need, (d) child protection enquiries, (e) child protection plans and (f) looked after children.
	tabling member constituency	West Lancashire
	tabling member printed	Rosie Cooper
	uin	231967
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>Funding for children’s services is made available through the local government finance settlement (LGFS), which gives local authorities flexibility to target spending according to local needs and to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, including services for children and families. Since 2010, the responsibilities of local authorities and the makeup of their funding streams have changed significantly. Therefore, wider spending power measures are not directly comparable over this period.</p><p>Over the 5 year period to 2019-20, councils have access, through the LGFS, to over £200 billion to deliver local services, including children’s services. Core spending power has increased from £45.1 billion in 2018-19 to £46.4 billion in 2019-20.</p><p>In addition to this the Autumn Budget announced a further £410 million in 2019-20 for local authorities to invest in adult and children’s social care services. It also announced £84 million of extra funding, over the next 5 years, to support local authorities to invest in initiatives that improve social work practice and decision making.</p><p>Local authority level data since 2013 is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait</a>.</p><p>National level children in need and service use since 2010 is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need</a> and: <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>The most common factors recorded in children’s social care assessments are domestic abuse and mental health. These have been consistently the top two factors for the years during which we have collected this data and have risen in line with trends in demand.</p><p>The Department for Education are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the review of relative needs and resources to develop a robust, up-to-date approach to funding distribution for children's services at LGFSs.</p><p>The government will continue to work closely with the sector to consider long-term children’s services funding as part of the upcoming Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 231962 231964 231965 question first answered 20/03/2019 18:14:54 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1538 label Biography information for Rosie Cooper

1089463

	registered interest
	date	15/03/2019
	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 has been made of the effect of the funding allocated to children’s services between 2010-11 and 2017-18 on the number of (a) referrals to children’s services; (b) re-referrals within 12 months, (c) children in need, (d) child protection enquiries, (e) child protection plans and (f) looked after children.
	tabling member constituency	St Helens North
	tabling member printed	Conor McGinn
	uin	233017
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>Funding for children’s services is made available through the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS), which gives local authorities flexibility to target spending according to local needs and to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, including services for children and families. Since 2010, the responsibilities of local authorities and the makeup of their funding streams have changed significantly. Therefore, wider spending power measures are not directly comparable over this period.</p><p>Over the 5 year period to 2019-20, councils have access, through the LGFS, to over £200 billion to deliver local services, including children’s services. Core spending power has increased from £45.1 billion in 2018-19 to £46.4 billion in 2019-20.</p><p>In addition to this the Autumn Budget announced a further £410 million in 2019-20 for local authorities to invest in adult and children’s social care services. It also announced £84 million of extra funding, over the next 5 years, to support local authorities to invest in initiatives that improve social work practice and decision making.</p><p>Local Authority level data since 2013 is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-interactive-tool-lait</a>.</p><p>National level children in need and service use since 2010 is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-children-in-need</a> and: <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>The most common factors recorded in children’s social care assessments are domestic abuse and mental health. These have been consistently the top two factors for the years during which we have collected this data and have risen in line with trends in demand.</p><p>The Department for Education is working closely with Ministry of Housing, Communities &amp; Local Government on the review of relative needs and resources to develop a robust, up-to-date approach to funding distribution for children's services at local government finance settlements.</p><p>The government will continue to work closely with the sector to consider long-term children’s services funding as part of the upcoming Spending Review.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 233015 233016 question first answered 20/03/2019 17:44:05 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	4458 label Biography information for Conor McGinn

1083408

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Distance Learning: Rural Areas
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to increase the availability of distance learning in rural areas where transport availability is difficult.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Byford
	uin	HL14291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>Distance learning offers excellent possibilities to open up choice and opportunity to people from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those from rural areas, and the government believes it should be widely available at a range of educational levels. Student support for tuition at higher education (HE) level is available for students who want to study on a part-time basis or by distance learning.</p><p> </p><p>The National Retraining Scheme (NRS) is an ambitious, far-reaching programme to drive adult retraining. It will help individuals to respond to the changing labour market, redirect their careers and secure better, more secure jobs of the future.</p><p> </p><p>To inform the design of the scheme, the Flexible Learning Fund is supporting 31 pilot projects across England with a total value of £11.4 million. The projects are designing and testing innovative, flexible learning that is easy to access. The pilots are aimed at adults who are working, or who are returning to work, with either low or intermediate skills. A range of delivery methods are being tested; most of the projects will make use of on-line technologies to a degree, as well as ‘blended learning’ that combines online and face-to-face learning.</p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has previously announced that Educational Technology (Edtech) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) would be a key feature of the NRS. Technological innovation and development, including in AI, will play an important part in improving the learning experience, design and effectiveness of online training.</p><p> </p><p>The government has committed up to £30 million of funding. Working closely with the technology industry we will look to innovate, test and develop ways in which technological solutions can directly answer the specific needs of NRS users alongside all learners. Details of the funding will be announced in spring 2019.</p><p> </p><p>It is only right that HE providers offer a range of options which suit all students, and that students have a real choice about where and how to study. The Review of Post-18 Education and Funding will consider how we can encourage and support more learning that is flexible, like part-time and distance learning, and enable more people to study close to where they live. The review will report later this year.</p><p> </p><p>The regulatory system is also a means of opening up HE to a more diverse range of provision and therefore to a wider range of students. The Higher Education and Research Act, which came into law in 2017, placed a duty on the Office for Students to consider other modes of study when promoting choice and opportunity in the provision of HE.</p><p> </p><p>Through recent HE reforms, we are working to support and encourage high quality new and innovative provision that has a strong offer for students, helping providers to navigate the regulatory system and we will continue to work with new providers to tackle any barriers that might arise.</p> answering member printed Viscount Younger of Leckie question first answered 20/03/2019 17:57:19 answering member 4169 label Biography information for Viscount Younger of Leckie
	tabling member	3343 label Biography information for Baroness Byford

1087086

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Free Schools
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's press release of 11 March 2019, Thousands of places created in new special free schools, what criteria was used to determine those local authorities selected to receive new special free schools.
	tabling member constituency	South West Wiltshire
	tabling member printed	Dr Andrew Murrison
	uin	231397
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>On 11 March 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the approval of 37 special free schools and 2 alternative provision free schools, providing thousands of new school places for children with special educational needs or those facing additional challenges in mainstream education.</p><p>The criteria used to assess local authority bids has now been removed from GOV.UK and is in the process of being uploaded onto the national archives web archives at: <a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/webarchive/" target="_blank">www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/webarchive/</a>. A copy has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 20/03/2019 17:45:24 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison

1087085

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Free Schools: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's press release of 11 March 2019, Thousands of places created in new special free schools, to which local authorities that £365 million funding has been allocated.
	tabling member constituency	South West Wiltshire
	tabling member printed	Dr Andrew Murrison
	uin	231396
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>On 11 March 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced 37 new special and 2 alternative provision free schools, providing thousands of new school places for children with special educational needs or those facing additional challenges in mainstream education.</p><p>Separately, the Department’s special provision capital fund is allocated to local authorities to build new places and improve facilities for children with special educational needs and disabilities across a range of settings, including mainstream and special schools. This totals £365 million from 2018-19 to 2020-21.</p><p>Allocations can be found on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-provision-capital-funding-for-pupils-with-ehc-plans" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-provision-capital-funding-for-pupils-with-ehc-plans</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 20/03/2019 17:32:15 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison

1087088

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Free Schools: South West
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	o ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department's press release of 11 March 2019, Thousands of places created in new special free schools, where in the South West he plans for those new special free schools providing 500 new places to be located.
	tabling member constituency	South West Wiltshire
	tabling member printed	Dr Andrew Murrison
	uin	231398
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>On 11 March 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the approval of 37 special free schools and 2 alternative provision free schools, providing thousands of new school places for children with special educational needs or those facing additional challenges in mainstream education. This includes the approval of 6 new special schools in the south-west. The schools will open in the following local authority areas: Cornwall, Dorset, North Somerset, Plymouth, Somerset and Wiltshire. The new school to be opened in Wiltshire local authority will be located in Salisbury and will also cater for students in the surrounding areas.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 20/03/2019 17:36:21 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison

1083409

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Languages: Education
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Modern Languages and the British Council, A national recovery programme for languages, published on 4 March.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
	uin	HL14292
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>The government welcomes the All Party Parliamentary Group’s report. Languages are increasingly important to ensure future competitiveness in the global market.</p><p>The department’s strategy for languages includes the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) performance measure, which has seen the proportion of GCSE entries from pupils in state-funded schools in a modern foreign language (MFL) increase from 40% in 2010 to 46% in 2018. The reformed national curriculum makes it compulsory for pupils in maintained schools to be taught a foreign language in key stage 2.</p><p>Our £4.8 million MFL Pedagogy Pilot commenced in December 2018. It is managed by the newly appointed MFL Centre for Excellence and is run through 9 school-led hubs, to improve uptake and attainment in languages at key stages 3 and 4. The department has launched a pilot project in MFL undergraduate mentoring for secondary school pupils to drive up participation in the subject, specifically targeting areas of high disadvantage to extend access to languages for all pupils.</p><p>Recruiting MFL teachers is also a priority. Generous financial incentives are offered for languages teaching, including scholarships in MFLs worth £28,000, and tax-free bursaries, typically worth up to £26,000. The government is working in partnership with Spain’s Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to deliver Spain’s Visiting Teachers Programme to provide schools with access to a pool of qualified teachers from Spain who are able to teach MFLs. For the 2019/20 academic year. This programme will be open to secondary schools and also (as a pilot) to primary schools. In addition to this, the Teacher Subject Specialism Training programme aims to improve the subject knowledge of non-specialist teachers and returning teachers in MFLs and increase the number of hours taught.</p><p>The department has also recently launched the new Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, which will attract new teachers to all subjects, including MFLs.</p><p>The department continues to promote the value of language qualifications to students who are choosing their GCSEs and to their parents. A guidance leaflet for parents was recently published, and can be found attached, which explains why studying a language, as part of the EBacc, broadens opportunities in both education and employment. In February, the department drew attention to the benefits of studying a language among 13-14 year olds through a social media campaign.</p> answering member printed Lord Agnew of Oulton question first answered 20/03/2019 17:52:30 answering member 4689 label Biography information for Lord Agnew of Oulton
	tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

1088538

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to footnote 7 on page 4 of the Policy Statement: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Personal, Social Health and Economic Education, published in March 2017, what the evidential basis was for the statement that providing a parent with a blanket right to withdraw their child from sex education is no longer consistent with English case law, or with the ECHR and UNCRC; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Southend West
	tabling member printed	Sir David Amess
	uin	231871
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.</p><p> </p><p>The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 231872 231873 231874 231875 231876 question first answered 20/03/2019 19:14:16 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	44 label Biography information for Sir David Amess

1088540

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to footnote 7 on page 4 of the Policy Statement: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Personal, Social Health and Economic Education, published in March 2017, when the current right of withdrawal ceased to be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Southend West
	tabling member printed	Sir David Amess
	uin	231873
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.</p><p> </p><p>The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 231871 231872 231874 231875 231876 question first answered 20/03/2019 19:14:17 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	44 label Biography information for Sir David Amess

1088541

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to footnote 7 on page 4 of the Policy Statement: Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education, and Personal, Social Health and Economic Education, published in March 2017, when the current right of withdrawal ceased to be compatible with the United States Convention on the Rights of the Child; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Southend West
	tabling member printed	Sir David Amess
	uin	231874
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>On 25 February 2019, following a 17-week consultation on the draft regulations and associated guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education, we published the updated guidance, and laid the regulations for debate in Parliament. The regulations include provision in respect of the right to be excused from sex education that are compatible with the law as it now stands. The case law in relation to a child’s competence to make their own decisions has evolved over time – see for example the 2006 case of ‘R (Axon) v Secretary of State for Health’.</p><p> </p><p>The statutory guidance for relationship, sex and health education sets out that parents can request that their child be excused from sex education taught as part of RSE at any time. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, head teachers should agree to such requests until three terms before the pupil turns 16. At that point, if the pupil wishes to be taught sex education as part of RSE rather than be withdrawn and again unless there are exceptional circumstances, the school should make arrangements to provide this education for the pupil in one of the three terms before their 16th birthday. Pupils do not have the right to withdraw themselves from sex education or other parts of the curriculum.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 231871 231872 231873 231875 231876 question first answered 20/03/2019 19:14:17 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
	tabling member	44 label Biography information for Sir David Amess