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1140099

registered interest
date	18/07/2019
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 steps his Department is taking to improve local authority support for vulnerable children.
tabling member constituency	Colne Valley
tabling member printed	Thelma Walker
uin	912085
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>We are providing local authorities with more money to support vulnerable children, with an additional £410 million invested this year across adults’ and children’s social care. Separately, we are investing £84 million over 5 years to drive improvements in children’s services across local authorities, especially through early intervention.</p><p>In 2018, the department introduced a new, tougher Ofsted inspection framework to drive improvement in children’s services. The department intervenes robustly in every local authority judged ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted, bringing in experts to assess which improvements will ensure better services. This might include removing service delivery from the council’s control by establishing a trust, giving children’s services a fresh start.</p><p>Since May 2010, 46 local authorities have been lifted out of intervention and have not returned, and the number of inadequate local authorities has reduced from 30 to 19 since July 2017. We aim to continue making these improvements at pace so that, by 2022, less than 10% of local authorities are rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted, halving failure rates within 5 years and providing consistently better services for thousands of children and families across the country.</p><p>To get ahead of failure, we are investing an additional £20 million in our regional improvement strategy, working collaboratively with the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, Local Government Association, Solace and the rest of the sector to identify local authorities that need additional support. Our Regional Improvement Alliances and high-performing ‘Partners in Practice’ local authorities support those at risk of failure, embedding a system of sector-led improvement with more than 70 local authorities receiving support to date.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 22/07/2019 16:46:42 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4649 label Biography information for Thelma Walker

1139718

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	Secondary Education: Per Capita Costs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) maximum and (b) average reduction in per pupil funding for a state secondary school was in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Wokingham
tabling member printed	John Redwood
uin	278328
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2019 answer text <p>Between 2015-16 and 2019-20 the government has made a significant investment in schools, with core schools funding growing by nearly £4 billion.</p><p>The table below shows the average funding per secondary pupil we have allocated to local authorities in England through the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2018-19 and 2019-20.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average Schools block secondary unit of funding (SUF)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2018-19</strong></p></td><td><p>£5,228.74</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2019-20</strong></p></td><td><p>£5,294.78</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Before 2018-19, the Department did not distinguish between phases when allocating funding to local authorities through the DSG. Each local authority will have set their own funding rates for secondary pupils for each year in this period. The average funding per pupil (schools block unit of funding) for the period between 2014-15 and 2017-18 is available in the table below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Average Schools block unit of funding (SBUF)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014-15</strong></p></td><td><p>£4,555.02</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2015-16</strong></p></td><td><p>£4,612.11</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2016-17</strong></p></td><td><p>£4,636.43</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td><td><p>£4,618.63</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The drop in schools block per pupil funding between 2016-17 and 2017-18 is due to local authorities re-baselining funding between the DSG blocks, resulting in funding moving from the schools block into the high needs block.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to schools block funding, schools also receive funding from separate funding streams and additional grants, such as the central schools services, and the high needs blocks of the DSG, as well as the Pupil Premium.</p><p>Local authorities continue to be responsible for distributing funding to schools in their local area, which they will have determined through their own local formulae. As a result, the Department does not hold any analysis of this data in order to provide the maximum and average change per secondary pupil at school level as requested. The Department publishes schools block allocations for individual maintained schools and academies online, which can be accessed at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/schools-block-funding-allocations" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/schools-block-funding-allocations</a>.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 24/07/2019 11:31:10 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	14 label Biography information for Sir John Redwood

1139720

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	Secondary Education: Per Capita Costs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what minimum per pupil sum is for a state secondary school to provide each pupil with a good quality education.
tabling member constituency	Wokingham
tabling member printed	John Redwood
uin	278329
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2019 answer text <p>There is no consensus about the minimum operating cost of a school at present. Each school is unique and the Department believes it should be for head teachers to decide their operating model.</p><p>The Department does have minimum per pupil funding levels in the national funding formula (NFF). In 2019-20 the minimum per pupil funding level for secondary schools is £4,800. Local authorities remain responsible for decisions about the distribution of funding at the local level, and Wokingham Borough Council has chosen to implement the NFF minimum per pupil funding levels.</p> answering member constituency Bognor Regis and Littlehampton answering member printed Nick Gibb question first answered 24/07/2019 11:30:46 answering member 111 label Biography information for Nick Gibb
tabling member	14 label Biography information for Sir John Redwood

1139746

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	Department for Education: Working Hours
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much time off in lieu has been taken by staff in his Department in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	278368
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p><p>In the department, a voluntary ‘flexi-scheme’ is available to all employees who are responsible for ensuring their hours of attendance are recorded accurately. Managers are responsible for ensuring that employees are not working excessive hours. If an employee accrues extra hours they may, with the agreement of their manager, take time off. Managers and employees have an obligation to ensure that working patterns are in accordance with the working time regulations.</p><p>The department is committed to the wellbeing of its staff and around 90% of our senior civil servants have received Wellbeing Confident Leader training. The department has mental health first aiders, fair treatment ambassadors and a wellbeing network who all work to help prioritise staff wellbeing at work.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 22/07/2019 17:10:37 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1139800

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	Adult Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the adult education budget is for (a) financial year 2019-20 and (b) academic year 2019-20; and what proportion of that budget is devolved to the seven combined authorities in England.
tabling member constituency	Gateshead
tabling member printed	Ian Mearns
uin	278476
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/07/2019 answer text <p>The Adult Education Budget for the financial year 2019-20 is £1.34 billion, of which £52 million is held nationally for traineeships and continuing learners. The 6 Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Greater London Authority have been allocated 49% of the remaining budget.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 23/07/2019 17:22:52 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4000 label Biography information for Ian Mearns

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

1139914

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	Apprentices: Film
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 11 July 2019 to Question 274454, whether his Department plans to collect data which would enable an assessment of the amount of apprenticeship levy money that was (a) paid by and (b) spent on apprenticeships by screen industry companies in financial year 2018-19.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff West
tabling member printed	Kevin Brennan
uin	278393
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2019 answer text <p>The apprenticeship levy is collected by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) from employers with a pay bill in excess of £3 million per year. HMRC does not collect data which allows levy collection to be broken down by sector.</p><p> </p><p>The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) does not require levy-paying employers to register a sector when they set up an online apprenticeship service account to manage their funds. Therefore, ESFA are unable to supply information on the sectoral distribution of spending on apprenticeships. There are currently no plans to change the registration process to collect this information from employers registering for an apprenticeship service account.</p><p> </p><p>We are working closely with employers in the creative industries, including companies in the screen industry, so they can realise the benefits of apprenticeships. The Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport is developing an innovative pilot which will enable apprentices to benefit from hands-on experience on the sets of major films and television shows. Launching later this year, it will explore a new model that fulfils the requirements of high-quality apprenticeships, but uses multiple placements on film and television productions, as well as addressing skills shortages.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 22/07/2019 16:24:36 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	1400 label Biography information for Kevin Brennan

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