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1139910

registered interest
date	17/07/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education: Care Leavers
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 help increase the number of care leavers (a) accessing and (b) completing a higher education award.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	278347
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2019 answer text <p>The government is committed to improving the outcomes of care leavers. To support this, in March 2019, the department published a set of principles to guide the higher education sector on improving care leavers’ access and participation. A copy of the principles is available at the following link: <a href="https://mycovenant.org.uk/featured-signatories/educational/" target="_blank">https://mycovenant.org.uk/featured-signatories/educational/</a>.</p><p> </p><p>As part of its drive to galvanise the support that wider civil society can provide to support care leavers, the government has launched the Care Leaver Covenant. This asks organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors, including higher education providers, to commit to help care leavers to successfully transition from care to independence, by setting out clearly what support they can offer.</p><p> </p><p>17 higher education providers have already signed the covenant and published their offers on the covenant website: <a href="https://mycovenant.org.uk/offers/educational/" target="_blank">https://mycovenant.org.uk/offers/educational/</a>.</p><p> </p><p>We want all higher education providers to work with Spectra First (the delivery partner appointed by the department to promote the covenant), which provides support in developing offers, with a view to them signing the covenant. To support this, we are organising a workshop with Universities UK and Spectra First in September, for higher education providers who are yet to sign. The event will make clear why they should support care leavers and provide examples of best practice on how they can do this.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 24/07/2019 11:27:48 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1139912

registered interest
date	17/07/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Disadvantaged
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the attainment of children whose family receive universal credit with all school-aged children.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	278348
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2019 answer text <p>The Department has not made a comparative assessment of the attainment of children whose families receive universal credit with all school-aged children. The relevant data to make an accurate assessment at this point in time is not available, but, data matching between the Department for Education and the Department for Work and Pensions for research and statistics purposes is ongoing and as developments complete, work of this kind will become possible in future.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 24/07/2019 11:35:29 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1139915

registered interest
date	17/07/2019
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 assistance is available to parents of disabled children who need additional childcare during the school summer holidays.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	278350
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>Local authorities are required to secure sufficient childcare in their area, so far as is practicable, for working parents, or parents who are studying or training for employment, for children aged to 14 (or up to 18 for disabled children).</p><p>Since 2011, every local authority has also been under a duty to provide a range of short breaks for disabled children and their families. Responsibility for funding short breaks rests with local authorities. They are best placed and have the freedom to decide how to deliver services, target their resources and priorities and be flexible to meet the local needs of disabled children and young people.</p><p>Tax-free childcare was introduced in 2017 to support families with the costs of childcare, for which 1.6 million families are eligible. For every £8 that parents pay into an online account, the government pays £2 – up to a maximum contribution of £2,000 per child each year, for children aged up to 12. Parents of disabled children receive extra support (worth up to £4,000 per child, for each year and until their child is 17) which can be used to pay for childcare provision both during term time and in school holidays.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/07/2019 17:19:27 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1139919

registered interest
date	17/07/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Charitable Donations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to tackle the financial imbalance in donations received by state schools in affluent areas and those in poorer areas.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	278353
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>Schools have historically generated income to bring communities together as well as to bring in extra funding, over and above schools’ core budget. There are many types of income generation, which range from letting out premises to beetle drives. Overall, schools generate around £1.3 billion a year, which is roughly 4% of the schools’ budget. Income specifically from donations and voluntary funds has remained steady at about 0.7% of schools’ overall budgets since 2011-12.</p><p>As set out in the Department’s Supporting Excellent School Resource Management strategy, the Department intends to publish guidance for schools on these issues.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 22/07/2019 16:20:25 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1137429

registered interest
date	08/07/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Disabled Students' Allowances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to merge the allowances for non-medical, equipment and general support for disabled students’ allowance to permit more flexibility in how that allowance may be spent by undergraduate students.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	274435
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2019 answer text <p>The department has no plans to merge the 4 separate Disabled Students’ Allowances currently available to undergraduate students.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 15/07/2019 15:16:07 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1137209

registered interest
date	05/07/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Disabled Students' Allowances
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the specification of laptops supplied to students with vision impairment through the disabled students’ allowance is updated allow updating of necessary software over the duration of degree programme.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	273733
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The department is currently reviewing the specification of equipment provided to visually impaired students, to ensure that it remains fit for purpose throughout the duration of students’ courses.</p><p> </p><p>Students that experience issues with their equipment are advised to contact their assessment centre or Student Finance England so that these issues can be considered and rectified.</p> answering member constituency Kingswood answering member printed Chris Skidmore question first answered 10/07/2019 14:25:54 answering member 4021 label Biography information for Chris Skidmore
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1133350

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Bereavement Counselling
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 implement a national bereavement policy for schools to help assist children who have experienced the death of a member of their immediate family.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	266650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>The Department’s Mental Health and Behaviour guidance includes links to sources of information and support, including on how to respond to bereavement and other traumatic events. This includes MindEd, which the Government has funded to provide online advice and training on mental health for all professionals working with children and young people. Information on MindEd is available here: <a href="https://www.minded.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.minded.org.uk/</a>.</p><p>The Department has also provided advice to schools on how to provide access to high quality school-based counselling, available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/counselling-in-schools</a>.</p><p>Where children need specialist support, it is important that schools are able to make referrals quickly. The NHS long term plan sets out how specialist mental health support will be increased, including through access to crisis care 24 hours a day by 2023/24. It also includes support for at least an additional 345,000 children and young people to access NHS funded mental health services, including through new mental health support teams linked to schools and colleges.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 28/06/2019 08:49:35 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1131850

registered interest
date	12/06/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Primary Education: Admissions
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 implications for his policies of the recent London School of Economics report which has found that children with special educational needs and disabilities who attend nurseries based in primary schools are significantly less likely than their peers to be admitted into the school’s reception class.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	263684
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2019 answer text <p>The government’s ambition for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is the same for every other child: to make the most of early education, thrive in school and to live happy fulfilled lives.</p><p> </p><p>The London School of Economics report focusses on data related to the behaviour of schools and a cohort of children born into the 2006/07 academic year. This report does not consider parental choice in that some children may have gone onto a special school rather than the primary school they attended as their preschool choice.</p><p> </p><p>Where a child’s education health care (EHC) plan names a school, the child must be admitted to that school. Where a child does not have an EHC plan, places will be allocated in accordance with the school's published admission arrangements.</p><p> </p><p>Furthermore, all mainstream state-funded schools must comply with the school admissions code and wider admissions law, as well as with equalities law. The code is clear that admission authorities must ensure their arrangements will not disadvantage unfairly, directly or indirectly a child with SEND.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 21/06/2019 11:14:09 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1126802

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's Centres
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to (a) reverse the closure of children's centres and (b) publish a strategy for the long-term expansion of the provision of children's centres.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	254727
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>As set out in the government response to recommendation 13 of the Education Select Committee report on tackling disadvantage in the early years, published on 4 April 2019, we are clear that children’s centres have an important role to play in achieving my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s social mobility ambition, but it is right for local authorities to decide how to use them as part of the wider system of local services. The government response can be accessed here: <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Education/Correspondence/Government-response-to-committee-9th-report-tackling-disadvantage-in-the-early-years-CP-68.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/Education/Correspondence/Government-response-to-committee-9th-report-tackling-disadvantage-in-the-early-years-CP-68.pdf</a>, the select committee report can be accessed here: <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmeduc/1006/1006.pdf" target="_blank">https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmeduc/1006/1006.pdf</a>.</p><p>The government’s role is to engage with the sector, find out what works and support local areas to make the right decisions for their communities, which is why we have commissioned the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) to examine research and practice evidence with the aim of developing tools to help local authorities make informed choices about their children’s centre provision. The EIF project is part of the Department for Education’s £8.5 million local government programme, which will inform the next steps, including considering any future consultation, on children’s centres. Funding for the local government programme runs until March 2020, with evidence and learning emerging by its conclusion.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 22/05/2019 13:11:22 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1123945

registered interest
date	30/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Swimming: Primary Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to introduce a statutory requirement to provide primary school (a) teaching and (b) support staff with (i) training and (ii) regular up-skilling in swimming and water safety; and if he will ensure that all pupils of primary age have adequate opportunities to access publicly-funded swimming facilities.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	249198
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>Swimming is a vital life skill, which is why swimming and water safety are compulsory elements of the national curriculum physical education (PE) at key stages 1 and 2. It sets out the expectation that pupils should be taught to:</p><ul><li>swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres;</li><li>use a range of strokes effectively; and</li><li>perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The government asked the Swim Group, which includes representatives from across the swimming and education sector, to submit an independent report setting out recommendations for improving curriculum swimming, as part of the Sporting Future strategy. The department has worked closely with Swim England and other members of the Swim group to review the recommendations in their report. In October 2018, we announced that schools would receive extra support to help all pupils to swim and know how to be safe in the water by the time they leave primary school. This included guidance to schools on:</p><p> </p><ul><li>effective use of the PE and sport premium to support additional teacher training and top-up swimming for those children not yet able to meet the national curriculum requirements after core lessons;</li><li>a drive to boost partnerships between independent schools to offer the use of facilities, coaching and other forms of support to schools in their area;</li><li>new guidance from Swim England and the Swim Group for swimming providers, primary schools, swimming teachers and parents and carers.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Information on school swimming pools is not held centrally. Since 2012, Sport England has invested £67 million into 46 new local authority facilities which include pools, resulting in around £700 million investment from those authorities. In addition, Sport England is currently working with around 100 local authorities which have plans for new pool provision.</p><p> </p><p>Sport England also provide guidance to local authorities on facility management options and specifications, this guidance is currently under review and will be available in the forthcoming months.</p><p> </p><p>The new guidance will contain information on pool programming from Swim England and will reference good practice where facility management organisations have worked in cooperation with primary schools to improve logistics in relation to delivery of school swimming.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 09/05/2019 14:09:41 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe