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1625191

registered interest
date	02/05/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Foster Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of processes for investigating allegations made against foster carers; and what right of access foster carers have to information on allegations made against them.
tabling member constituency	Canterbury
tabling member printed	Rosie Duffield
uin	183531
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2023 answer text <p>The National Minimum Standards (NMS) are clear that allegations should be handled fairly, quickly, and consistently in a way that provides effective protection for the child and at the same time supports the person who is the subject of the allegation.</p><p>The NMS are clear that fostering service providers should provide foster carers with written guidance that sets out how they will be supported during an investigation, including the payment of allowance and any fees to foster carers while investigations are ongoing. The NMS also makes clear the duty of the fostering service provider to make available a person, independent of the service provider, who can offer information, advice, emotional support and, where needed, mediation and/or advocacy.</p><p>Foster carers should be given appropriate information about any allegation made against them and the reasons for an unplanned removal of a child. As soon as the investigation is concluded a comprehensive summary of any allegations should be given to the person that has been subject to the allegation. This summary will be held confidentially by the organisation until the person reaches retirement age, or for ten years if this is longer.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 15/05/2023 14:59:52 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4616 label Biography information for Rosie Duffield

1624064

registered interest
date	26/04/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Agriculture: Further Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding the Government has allocated to agricultural colleges in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	182827
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2023 answer text <p>The attached Excel spreadsheet supplies the allocation values for institutions which are specified as Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and includes the institution name and UK Provider Reference Number.</p><p>Allocations of funding are provided on an academic year basis, August through July, and therefore span multiple years. Whilst the funding is allocated to Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges, these institutions do deliver other study programmes. The data does not include funding for employer led apprenticeships or any funding devolved to Mayoral Combined Authorities.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 09/05/2023 16:01:30 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon attachment 1 file name 182827 QC 020523 (spreadsheet).xlsx title Data for allocation values 182827
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1608669

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Fees and Charges
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward the date at which parents of one and two year-olds are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare.
tabling member constituency	York Outer
tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
uin	176667
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/04/2023 answer text <p>The government announced in the Spring Budget 2023 that there will be a number of transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children and the economy. By 2027/28, this government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This announcement represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England.</p><p>Currently, eligible working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds are eligible for 30 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks a year. From April 2024, working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks a year. From September 2024, this will be extended to parents of 9 month to 3-year-olds, and from September 2025, working parents of 9 month to 3-year-olds will be able to access 30 free hours per week, over 38 weeks a year.</p><p>This is a large expansion in the 30 hours offer and will take some time to implement and rollout. The department wants to make sure that taxpayers’ money is used efficiently, and the new offer is delivered in the best way. The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity, and we are working closely with the sector on the implementation of these reforms.</p><p>The department has already spent more than £20 billion over the past five years to support families with the cost of childcare. In the last decade, we have doubled the free childcare entitlement for working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds to 30 hours and introduced 15 free hours a week for disadvantaged 2-year-olds.</p><p>The reforms announced build on our current early education entitlements which continue to support parents, including a universal 15-hour offer for all 3 and 4-year-olds, the 15-hour offer for the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds, and the existing 30 hours offer, as well as Tax Free Childcare and Universal Childcare.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho grouped question UIN 177792 question first answered 20/04/2023 11:01:19 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1608842

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Civil Liberties
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bellamy on 8 March (HL5707), what assessment they have made of the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory report What do we know about children and young people deprived of their liberty in England and Wales?, published on 9 February 2022; and what steps they plan to take in response to the recommendations for collecting and publishing data made in that report.
tabling member printed	Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede
uin	HL6970
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/04/2023 answer text <p>The department welcomes the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory’s report ‘What do we know about children and young people deprived of their liberty in England and Wales’, and recognises the growing concerns regarding deprivation of liberty (DoL) cases. Children and young people deprived of their liberty are some of the most vulnerable children in society.</p><p>The newly launched National DoLs Court has helped the judiciary and the government gain more robust data and a greater understanding of this cohort of children who are often the subject of DoL proceedings, which requires a cross-system response.</p><p>The department accepts that there is a need for more robust data and will be meeting with the Ministry of Justice, HM Courts and Tribunals Services, and Nuffield to discuss their recommendations. Officials are meeting with Nuffield on 19 April. As data collection continues, we will be able to better understand the number of children placed in different settings, their characteristics, experiences and outcomes.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 14/04/2023 12:22:23 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran
tabling member	3154 label Biography information for Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede

1608902

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Visas: British National (Overseas)
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are offering to people from Hong Kong who have come to the UK under the British National Overseas (BNO) visa to help them take up teaching positions.
tabling member printed	Lord Leong
uin	HL7002
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/04/2023 answer text <p>From 1 February 2023, teachers who are already qualified and recognised as teachers in Hong Kong are able to apply to have their qualification recognised with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England, without additional training. This means that they can apply for teaching roles that require QTS.</p><p>For those looking to train to teach in physics and languages, bursaries worth up to £27,000 and scholarships worth up to £29,000 are available, including to those with a British National (Overseas) visa.</p><p>For those who are considering coming to England, we have introduced an international relocation payment worth up to £10,000 to help overseas physics and language teachers and trainees, including those from Hong Kong, to relocate.</p><p>Schools looking to complete safeguarding checks in order to employ teachers from Hong Kong can currently provide assistance to these individuals with a letter which can be used to apply for a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction from the Hong Kong authorities. Our statutory guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education, also sets out alternative safeguarding processes that schools can follow. This can be found attached.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 11/04/2023 13:39:28 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran attachment 1 file name Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2022.pdf title HL7002_pdf
tabling member	4959 label Biography information for Lord Leong

1606400

registered interest
date	22/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing parents to transfer free childcare allowances for the care of children currently ineligible for free childcare.
tabling member constituency	St Ives
tabling member printed	Derek Thomas
uin	171507
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2023 answer text <p>Parents can benefit from the government’s current range of childcare offers, which includes the free early education entitlements, as well as Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare.</p><p>The free early education entitlements apply to childcare places taken up by a child who is within the correct eligibility age range for each offer.</p><ul><li>All parents of 3 and 4-year-old children can benefit from 15 hours per week over 38 weeks of the year of free early education, regardless of family circumstances. This helps children to develop social skills and prepare them for school.</li><li>Working parents on low incomes and in receipt of certain benefits can qualify for 15 hours per week over 38 weeks of the year of free early education for 2-year-olds. This significantly improves the educational attainment of these children.</li><li>Eligible working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds are entitled to an additional 15 hours (30 hours) of free childcare per week over 38 weeks a year. The 30 hours offer aims to support working families with the cost of childcare, and to support parents back into work, or to work more hours should they wish to.</li></ul><p> </p><p>In addition to the entitlements, Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit Childcare can be used to pay costs associated with care of children in their early years, as well as those of school age.</p><p>Tax-Free Childcare is available for working parents of children aged 0-11, or up to 17 for eligible disabled children. This has the same income criteria as 30 hours free childcare and can be used to pay for childcare of children who fall within the eligible age range.</p><p>Low-income families who are in receipt of Universal Credit, and find that they are ineligible for Tax-Free Childcare, can have 85% of their childcare costs covered under the Universal Credit Childcare offer. This offer can be used to cover costs associated with childcare taken up at nurseries, preschools, after-school clubs, breakfast clubs, childminders, nannies and holiday clubs.</p><p>In the 2023 Spring Budget, the government announced a number of transformative reforms to childcare for parents, children, and the economy. This includes the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer where eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks per year from when their child is 9 months old to when they start school.</p><p>Further information on the support available to parents can be found at: <a href="https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 30/03/2023 15:52:51 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4532 label Biography information for Derek Thomas

1606482

registered interest
date	22/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to extend his proposed 30 free hours of childcare outlined in the Budget 2023 to children aged between 12 and 24 months to households with a collective income over £100,000.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	171367
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2023 answer text <p>In the Spring Budget 2023 on 15 March, the government announced a number of transformative reforms to childcare for parents and children. This includes the expansion of the 30 hours free childcare offer, where eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 hours of free childcare per week for 38 weeks per year, from when their child is 9 months old to when they start school.</p><p>The government expects to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education by 2027/28, helping working families with their childcare costs. This announcement represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England.</p><p>Eligible working parents of 3 and 4-year-olds are currently eligible for 30 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks a year. From April 2024, working parents of 2-year-olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare per week, over 38 weeks a year. From September 2024, this will be extended to parents of 9 month to 3-year-olds, over 38 weeks a year. From September 2025, working parents of 9 month to 3-year-olds will be able to access 30 free hours per week, over 38 weeks a year.</p><p>To be eligible for this offer, as with the current 30 hours offer, parents will need to earn the equivalent of 16 hours a week at national minimum or living wage, and less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year. The income eligibility criteria are applied on a per parent basis, so working parents who individually earn more than £8,670 from April but less than £100,000 adjusted net income per year are eligible. In a two-parent family, both parents must meet these thresholds, unless one partner receives certain benefits. In a single-parent household, the single parent must meet these income thresholds.</p><p>The reforms announced build on our current early education entitlements that the government offers, which includes a universal 15 hour offer for all 3 and 4-year-olds, a 15 hour offer for the most disadvantaged 2-year-olds, the existing 30 hours offer for 3 and 4-year-olds, Tax-Free Childcare, and Universal Credit Childcare.</p><p>Further information on the support available to parents is available at: <a href="https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 30/03/2023 15:59:37 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1604780

registered interest
date	16/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Performing Arts: Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of (a) performing arts teachers and (b) associated curriculum hours in schools and further and higher education institutions.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff North
tabling member printed	Anna McMorrin
uin	167209
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2023 answer text <p>Information relating to ITT recruitment performance in England is published annually in the ITT census, available at: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2022-23" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2022-23</a>. In 2022/23, there were 329 postgraduate trainees who started an ITT course in drama, 301 in music, and 1,405 in physical education. Performance versus target in 2022/23 for drama was 113%, for music was 64%, and for physical education was 143%.</p><p>Information on the school workforce in England, including the number of subject teachers in state funded secondary schools, is collected each November as part of the annual school workforce census. Information is published in the ‘school workforce in England’ statistical publication, available at: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england</a>. Those who are designated as teachers of dance are included within the total for physical education/sports teachers.</p><p>As of November 2021, there were 8,976 teachers of drama, 7,003 teachers of music, and 23,708 teachers of physical education/sport at Key Stages 3, 4, and 5 in state funded secondary schools in England. In a typical week, they taught 85,003 hours of drama, 86,480 hours of music, and 290,033 hours of physical education/sport. Drama, music and physical education/sport teachers designate any teacher timetabled to teach the subject for any period in a typical week in November. These teachers do not necessarily have a specific post-A level qualification. This timetabling does not cover an entire year of teaching. If there are variations in timetabling across the year, this is not covered in the data available to the Department.</p><p>The Department does not hold data on the number of teachers who teach performing arts in further education institutions.</p><p>For 2022/23, the Department increased funding for world-leading specialist HE providers by an additional £5 million, from £53 million in 2021/22 to £58 million in 2022/23. This is on top of the increase of £10 million the Department provided in 2021/22. The Department wants to ensure that specialist institutions, many of which specialise in arts provision, receive additional support, and that grant funding is used to effectively support students.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 21/03/2023 17:51:40 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4632 label Biography information for Anna McMorrin

1604781

registered interest
date	16/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Performing Arts: Extracurricular Activities
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of rises in the cost of living on the uptake of extracurricular performing arts classes in (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) further and (d) higher education; and whether she is taking steps to increase engagement in the performing arts in (i) schools and (ii) other educational establishments.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff North
tabling member printed	Anna McMorrin
uin	167210
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2023 answer text <p>All state funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development. The performing arts are a core part of the school curriculum and also supported through extracurricular activities to children and young people.</p><p>The Department regularly asks about pupil participation in extracurricular performing arts activities in ‘parent, pupil and learner panel’ surveys. In the most recent published wave in which the questions were asked (the November wave from the 2022/23 academic year), 19% of pupils reported that they had participated in extracurricular performing arts activities in that term. The Department will continue to monitor the uptake of performing arts and other extracurricular activities, and investigate reasons for any significant changes or trends.</p><p>An additional £1.6 billion in funding has been made available for 16-19 education between the 2021/22 and 2024/25 academic years. This includes an up-front cash boost which will see the rate of funding per student increase by over 8% in 2022/23.</p><p>The Department recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year which have affected university students. In addition to the cost of living measures already announced, the Department discusses cost of living pressures that are affecting students in its regular meetings with stakeholders, including the Office for Students (OfS), Universities UK and other HE representative groups. The Department also consulted with the National Association of Student Money Advisers to understand the ongoing situation in relation to increased requests from students for hardship awards from their universities.</p><p>The Department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum on cultural education over three years, through its music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.</p><p>The Department will be publishing a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England. The Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel was announced last year, and other panel members will be announced in due course. The Plan will focus on how the Government can support access and participation in a wide range of arts subjects and activities, particularly for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. It will also further support young people who wish to pursue careers in the creative, cultural, and heritage industries.</p><p>In addition, the Department wants to ensure that HE specialist providers, many of which specialise in arts provision, receive additional support, and that grant funding is used to effectively support students.</p><p>On 8 December 2022, the OfS published the list of successful HE providers who have been identified as world-leading specialists by the Specialist Provider Panel. The current list of world-leading specialist providers includes 13 providers specialising in the arts. This funding will help improve the diversity and quality of creative education provision available to students.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 21/03/2023 17:54:38 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4632 label Biography information for Anna McMorrin

1605012

registered interest
date	16/03/2023
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to develop a workforce plan for Government-funded childcare staff.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	167273
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2023 answer text <p>The department continues to explore how to best support the early years sector to recruit and retain the staff it needs. We are working closely with the sector to develop a workforce strategy. The department will share further information in due course.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 21/03/2023 17:26:14 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell