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1203313

registered interest
date	12/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to allocate additional funding to schools for the employment of additional staff to support smaller class sizes from September 2020.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	59200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year, as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. That will ensure that they are able to continue to pay their staff and meet their other regular financial commitments.</p><p>We are also providing additional funding to schools, on top of existing budgets, to cover unavoidable costs incurred due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources. Our latest guidance on this is set out below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-schools</a>.</p><p>We want to see all children and young people back in school as soon as the scientific advice indicates they can because that is where they learn best. We are working towards bringing all children and young people back to school in September. We will provide further information and guidance with as much notice as possible.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 59201 question first answered 17/06/2020 15:40:17 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1203314

registered interest
date	12/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding he plans to allocate to schools to facilitate additional staff from September 2020; and what the timeframe is for the announcement of that funding.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	59201
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year, as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. That will ensure that they are able to continue to pay their staff and meet their other regular financial commitments.</p><p>We are also providing additional funding to schools, on top of existing budgets, to cover unavoidable costs incurred due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources. Our latest guidance on this is set out below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-schools</a>.</p><p>We want to see all children and young people back in school as soon as the scientific advice indicates they can because that is where they learn best. We are working towards bringing all children and young people back to school in September. We will provide further information and guidance with as much notice as possible.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb grouped question UIN 59200 question first answered 17/06/2020 15:40:17 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

1202880

registered interest
date	11/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons academy-related discrimination cases are outside the remit of the Education and Skills Funding Agency; and what options people have in an academy setting to pursue a discrimination case.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	58728
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2020 answer text <p>The law covering discrimination is the Equality Act 2010. This applies to all maintained and independent schools, including academies, and maintained and non-maintained special schools in England.</p><p>The Act makes it unlawful for the responsible body of a school to discriminate against, harass or victimise a pupil or potential pupil:</p><ul><li>in relation to admissions;</li><li>in the way it provides education for pupils;</li><li>in the way it provides pupils access to any benefit, facility or service; or</li><li>by excluding a pupil or subjecting them to any other detriment.</li></ul><p> </p><p>If an individual feels that discrimination has taken place, in the first instance these cases could be resolved informally with the school. Should this fail to satisfactorily resolve the issue, then an official complaint can be made to the academy.</p><p>If the complainant feels that the trust has not followed its complaints procedure, they can escalate this to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). The ESFA will assess the trust’s compliance with their complaints policy but cannot overturn the decision itself or suggest remedy.</p><p>Formal proceedings in relation to a contravention of the education provisions of the Act will be brought in a county court. If the court rules that there has been a contravention, then it has the power to award an appropriate remedy, including any award of damages.</p><p>Specialist tribunals which have experience and knowledge of disability issues will hear cases of contravention of the education provisions on grounds of disability. In England this will be the First-tier Tribunal. If the Tribunal rules that there has been a contravention, then it has the power to make an order of a remedy, which it sees as appropriate.</p><p>The Department has set out advice on the Equality Act on GOV.UK, which is available at:<br><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 16/06/2020 16:44:31 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1201811

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans to reimburse students that have paid deposits on (a) private and (b) university housing for the 2020-21 academic year and whose education may be disrupted as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
tabling member printed	Stuart Anderson
uin	57372
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.</p><p>The government encourages universities and private hall providers to be fair in their decisions about accommodation charges for this period.</p><p> </p><p>Information published by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gives guidance (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-to-investigate-concerns-about-cancellation-policies-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic/the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-consumer-contracts-cancellation-and-refunds</a>) on the COVID-19 outbreak’s effects on consumer contracts and may be helpful to students, including those who have already paid deposits for accommodation.</p><p>The guidance sets out the CMA’s view on how the law operates to help consumers understand their rights and to help businesses treat their customers fairly. Students may be entitled to refunds from certain accommodation providers depending on the terms of their contract and their particular circumstances. If students need help, organisations such as Citizens Advice offer a free service, providing information and support.</p><p>Students who have already signed an accommodation contract for next year and, because of COVID-19, think it may no longer fit their requirements, should talk directly to their housing provider.</p><p> </p><p>If a student thinks that their accommodation provider is treating them unfairly, they can raise a complaint under the accommodation codes of practice as long as their provider is a code member. The codes can be found at: <a href="https://www.thesac.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.thesac.org.uk/</a>; <a href="https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain" target="_blank">https://www.unipol.org.uk/the-code/how-to-complain</a> and: <a href="https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml" target="_blank">https://www.rla.org.uk/about/nrla-code-of-practice.shtml</a>.</p><p> </p><p>We have worked closely with the Office for Students to enable higher education (HE) providers to draw on existing funding to increase hardship funds and support disadvantaged students impacted by COVID-19. As a result, providers will be able to use the funding worth around £23 million per month for June and July, towards student hardship funds.</p><p><br> We have also asked that HE providers pay particular attention to the additional financial hardships that are being faced by student staff who have been reliant on income from campus-based jobs at this time.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 17/06/2020 15:43:57 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4742 label Biography information for Stuart Anderson

1201827

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
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, with reference to the findings of the report published by Barnardo's, the Children's Society, Action for Children, the NSPCC and the National Children's Bureau entitled Children and young people’s services: Funding and spending 2010-11 to 2017-18, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for children's services.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	57408
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>The government announced at the Local Government Finance Settlement that English councils' core spending power is rising by over £2.9 billion this financial year. This includes £1 billion of new grant funding that can be used flexibly by local authorities to deliver adult and children’s social care services.</p><p>Further to this, the government has provided over £3.2 billion of additional funding to support local authorities in meeting COVID-19 related pressures, including within children’s services. We will keep this under review over the coming weeks and months.</p><p>Longer term funding considerations are a matter for the next Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 17/06/2020 15:45:18 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1201865

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Private Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2020 to Question 51707 on Private Education: Coronavirus, whether independent schools are permitted to reopen for year 8 pupils when that is their final year before moving on to secondary education.
tabling member constituency	Hemel Hempstead
tabling member printed	Sir Mike Penning
uin	57102
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>The Department has asked primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, Reception, year 1 and year 6, alongside priority groups. Where primary and middle schools have already made provision for these children and where they have capacity, they may choose to welcome back additional pupils, in line with wider protective measures. It is up to schools to decide which pupils to prioritise, based on their knowledge of their children and communities.</p><p>Where middle schools choose to invite year 8 pupils back, they should be confident they can manage this within the strict measures the Department has asked primary schools to adopt. This includes having no more than 15 pupils in a class, and maintaining consistency of these groups. This guidance covers independent schools where year 8 pupils are in their final year before moving on to another school.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 17/06/2020 16:00:37 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning

1201917

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Closures
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 effect of the devolved response on school closures on the effectiveness of communications issued to the public.
tabling member constituency	Shrewsbury and Atcham
tabling member printed	Daniel Kawczynski
uin	57140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy makes clear that part of that UK wide approach will be acknowledging that the virus may be spreading at different speeds in different parts of the UK. Measures may need to change in different ways and at different times.</p><p>Education is a devolved matter and it is right that individual jurisdictions take decisions in line with their local circumstances.</p><p>There are various factors including different school term dates and concerns about rates of infection that mean governments in the devolved administrations need to take the decisions that are right for them.</p><p>The Department engages regularly and positively with our counterparts in the devolved administrations to collaborate on our shared education challenges, including on the wider opening of schools.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 17/06/2020 15:52:02 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	1566 label Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski

1201950

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to make an assessment of the effect on BAME communities of the requirement that non-EU nationals must in general have indefinite leave to remain in order to apply for student finance.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	57094
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>Student finance is generally available to those who have no restrictions on their ability to live and work in the United Kingdom, so that they are likely to be able stay in the UK to complete their education and contribute to the UK economy afterwards.</p><p> </p><p>In 2016, the regulations governing student support were amended to introduce a new eligibility category for those who do not have settled status but who have resided in the UK for an extended period. The amendment extended access to support to students who have spent half their life or at least 20 years in the UK preceding the first day of the first academic year of their course, or 7 years for those under 18 years old. Like most other students, they must be ordinarily resident in England and have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for the 3 years preceding the first day of the first academic year of their course to qualify for support.</p><p> </p><p>An equality impact assessment was carried out on this change before it was introduced. This can be found at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/517514/bis-16-200-new-eligibility-category-for-higher-education-student-support-equality-impact-analysis.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/517514/bis-16-200-new-eligibility-category-for-higher-education-student-support-equality-impact-analysis.pdf</a>. This assessment concluded that the policy could particularly benefit people from the Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia Central, Europe Other or Middle East regions.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 17/06/2020 12:11:51 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan attachment 1 file name 57094-new-eligibility-category-for-higher-education-student-support-equality-impact-analysis.pdf title 57094_PDF
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

1201960

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
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 parents unable to utilise their 30 hours free childcare entitlement during the covid-19 lockdown will be able to carry those unused hours over for use during the summer holidays 2020.
tabling member constituency	Elmet and Rothwell
tabling member printed	Alec Shelbrooke
uin	57179
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>We want parents to have access to a range of affordable childcare, giving them increased flexibility in their working hours and helping children thrive in the crucial early years. The government-funded early years entitlements deliver 15 or 30 hours a week of free, high quality, flexible childcare for eligible two, three and four-year-olds for 38 weeks a year.</p><p>The government wants to support nurseries, pre-schools and childminders during what must be a worrying and uncertain time. On 17 March, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, confirmed the government would continue to pay funding to local authorities for the free entitlements for two, three and four-year-olds during the period of closures, providing reassurance for early years settings in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. This entitlement funding has continued to be paid to providers to try and ensure that once the lockdown measures are eased and people return to work, there remains sufficient childcare for all those who need it.</p><p>These entitlements, therefore, cannot be accrued for time not spent in the setting and so parents will not be able to carry over unused hours for use in the summer holidays.</p><p>From 1 June, childcare settings have been able to reopen for children of all ages.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 17/06/2020 15:50:21 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	3997 label Biography information for Sir Alec Shelbrooke

1202011

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: Carers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff in his Department had caring responsibilities in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Kingston and Surbiton
tabling member printed	Sir Edward Davey
uin	57065
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally. The Department does not collect information about how many of its staff have caring responsibilities. The Department for Education is committed to supporting its employees with caring responsibilities. It has an active carers network which has recently achieved 'Carer Confident' accreditation, one of 10 Civil Service organisations to have done so.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 17/06/2020 15:32:37 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	188 label Biography information for Ed Davey