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1229190

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure parity between the amount received by claimants of universal credit in relation to the covid-19 outbreak and claimants of (a) employment support allowance (b) Jobseekers Allowance and (c) other benefits.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	81537
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/09/2020 answer text <p>Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support were increased by 1.7% in April 2020 following the Government’s announcement to end the benefit freeze.</p><p> </p><p>It has always been the case that claimants on legacy benefits can make a claim for Universal Credit (UC) if they believe that they will be better off. There are special arrangements for those in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium, who will be able to make a new claim to Universal Credit from January 2021.</p><p> </p><p>Claimants should check their eligibility before applying to UC as legacy benefits will end when they submit their claim and they will not be able to return to them in the future. For this reason, prospective claimants are signposted to independent benefits calculators on GOV.UK. Neither DWP nor HMRC can advise individual claimants whether they would be better off moving to UC or remaining on legacy benefits.</p><p> </p><p>From 22 July 2020, a two-week run on of Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (IR) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (IB) is available for all claimants whose claim to UC ends entitlement to these benefits, to provide additional support for claimants moving to UC.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 81993 82494 question first answered 08/09/2020 09:07:44 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1237569

	registered interest
	date	24/09/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit: Huddersfield
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families with children have received the £20 per week uplift in universal credit standard allowance payments in Huddersfield in each month since that uplift was introduced.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	95000
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2020 answer text <p>The available information on the number of households with children with Universal Credit in payment, by parliamentary constituency, is published and can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/</a></p><p> </p><p>Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html" target="_blank">https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html</a></p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 95171 95186 95220 question first answered 28/09/2020 12:17:58 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1271341

	registered interest
	date	15/12/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Food Banks: Infant Foods
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that all parents have access to infant formula at food banks.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	129971
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/12/2020 answer text <p>Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations and the Department for Work and Pensions does not have any role in their operation. Decisions about which donations to accept and make available to food bank users are therefore a matter for food bank providers.</p><p><br>Healthy Start vouchers support pregnant women or those with children under four who are on a low income with the cost of milk (including infant formula), fruit and vegetables helping to boost children’s long-term health. The weekly value of these vouchers will increase from £3.10 to £4.25 from next April.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 23/12/2020 12:54:23 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1281712

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2021
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Universal Credit
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to reduce the taper rate of universal credit during the covid-19 outbreak to help alleviate staff shortages.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	144928
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2021 answer text <p>Throughout the pandemic this Government has continued to support the lowest-paid families by targeting our support to those most in need by raising the national living wage, spending hundreds of billions to safeguard jobs, boosting welfare support by billions and introducing the £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme. It has also pledged to put an extra £1.7 billion a year into Work Allowances by 2023/24, increasing them by £1,040 a year for working parents and disabled claimants.</p><p> </p><p>There are currently no plans to reduce the Universal Credit taper rate. This Government has already made significant investment to reduce it from 65% to 63% in 2017.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 04/02/2021 16:25:06 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1379548

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Children: Food Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, (a) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Government's steps to end child food poverty and (b) if he will make it his policy to expand free school meals eligibility to include more children.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	76585
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/11/2021 answer text <p>This government is committed to supporting those on low incomes and continues to do so through many measures, such as spending over £111 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.</p><p>As our recovery gathers pace and with record vacancies, our focus is now on continuing to support parents progressing into work. This is because we know that work, particularly where it is full-time, substantially reduces the risks of child poverty and improves long-term outcomes for families and children. Our multi-billion-pound Plan for Jobs, which has recently been expanded by £500 million, will help people across the UK to find work and to boost their wages and prospects.</p><p>We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41 million for the Scottish Government, £25 million for the Welsh Government and £14 million for the Northern Ireland Executive), for a total of £500 million.</p><p>To support low income families further, we have increased the value of Healthy Start food vouchers from £3.10 to £4.25, helping eligible low income households buy basic foods like milk, fruit and vitamins. We are also investing over £200 million a year from 2022 to continue our Holiday Activities and Food programme which is already providing enriching activities and healthy meals to children in all English local authorities.</p><p>We support over 1.7 million pupils from the lowest income families to concentrate, learn, and achieve in the classroom through the provision of free school meals. An additional 1.3 million infants receive a free meal under the universal infant free school meals policy</p><p>Under this government, eligibility for free school meals (FSM) has been extended several times.</p><p>In 2018, the government introduced new eligibility criteria for families on Universal Credit, following a consultation in 2017. It was estimated that this will be more generous in its reach by 2022, in comparison to the legacy benefit system. We included generous protections, which mean any family eligible for FSM transitioning to Universal Credit from a legacy benefit will continue to have access to FSM even if they move above the earnings threshold.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 25/11/2021 16:28:01 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1385552

	registered interest
	date	06/12/2021
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Family Hubs
	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 ensure that new Family Hubs are located in areas of the country affected by closures of Sure Start Centres.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	87580
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/12/2021 answer text <p>At Budget, the government announced £82 million to create a network of family hubs. This is part of a wider £300 million package to transform services for parents, carers, babies and children in half of council areas across England.</p><p> </p><p>It is critical that this investment benefits families most in need. We will set out more detail in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 10/12/2021 10:03:14 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1451797

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Nutrition: Health Education
	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 ensure all children are taught about healthy diets and how to cook nutritious food in school.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	141125
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2022 answer text <p>Cooking and nutrition are a discrete strand of the national curriculum for design and technology. This was introduced as part of the 2014 design and technology curriculum and is compulsory for key stages 1 to 3. The curriculum aims to teach children how to cook, with an emphasis on savoury dishes, and how to apply the principles of healthy eating and nutrition. It recognises that cooking is an important life skill that will help children to feed themselves, and others, healthy and affordable food.</p><p>A food preparation and nutrition GCSE was introduced in September 2016. It requires pupils to understand and apply the principles of food science, nutrition, and healthy eating when preparing and cooking food. The first exams in this new qualification were taken in summer 2018.</p><p>Healthy eating is also covered in health education, as part of the relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum. The RSHE statutory guidance states that by the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet (including understanding calories and other nutritional content), the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals, the characteristics of a poor diet, and risks associated with unhealthy eating, (for example, obesity and tooth decay) and other behaviours (for example, the impact of alcohol on diet or health).</p><p>The importance of a healthy diet is also included in the science curriculum. The primary and secondary science curriculum require pupils in maintained schools to be taught about nutrition, including what constitutes a healthy diet, the impact of diet on the way our bodies work and the consequences of an imbalanced diet. By the end of secondary school, pupils should know how to maintain healthy eating and the links between a poor diet and health risks.</p><p>Furthermore, the Levelling Up White Paper confirmed the department’s focus on school food quality and food education, including a commitment to launch a £5 million pilot to launch a school cooking revolution. This includes enriching the curriculum and providing bursaries for teacher training and leadership.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 24/03/2022 14:06:08 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1451800

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Childminding: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason guidance states that childminders cannot operate if they have a positive or suspected covid-19 case in their household, despite the removal of legal self-isolation requirements on 24 February 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	141128
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2022 answer text <p>Since 17 March 2022, if someone in a childminder’s household has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, childminders can continue to operate at home.</p><p>Childminders are advised to follow the steps below to reduce the risk of onward transmission:</p><ul><li>The person who has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms should avoid contact with the children being cared for in the home.</li><li>Where possible, use separate toilets and handwashing facilities. If this is not possible, maintain extra cleaning and hygiene routines, particularly after the person has used the facilities.</li><li>Notify parents, carers, and any assistants that someone has tested positive or has COVID-19 symptoms, as soon as reasonably possible and maintain open communication with them throughout.</li><li>Consider the need to reduce the spread of COVID-19 with mitigations, such as ventilation and extra cleaning and hygiene routines. They should be applied where practical and safe to do so. Additional information on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19 is available in the guidance published by the Cabinet Office, available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae?utm_source=17%20March%202022%20C19&amp;utm_medium=Daily%20Email%20C19&amp;utm_campaign=DfE%20C19" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae?utm_source=17%20March%202022%20C19&amp;utm_medium=Daily%20Email%20C19&amp;utm_campaign=DfE%20C19</a>.</li><li>Comply with health and safety law by reviewing risk assessments in place. The risk assessment must demonstrate that the provision of childcare in the home is safe, and how any additional but proportionate measures will be put into place.</li></ul><p>Childminders can also consider using alternative places to operate, such as other childminders’ houses, where possible.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 24/03/2022 12:23:35 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1451807

	registered interest
	date	16/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	School Meals: Veganism
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has he made of requiring vegan meals to be provided in schools in England.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	141135
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2022 answer text <p>The standards for school food are set out in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. These ensure that schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need during the school day.</p><p>The government encourages all schools to promote healthy eating and to provide healthy, tasty and nutritious food and drink. Compliance with school food standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, including academies and free schools.</p><p>The department believes that head teachers, school governors, and caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies, particularly by considering local circumstances and the needs of their pupils. In doing so, the department expects schools to make reasonable adjustments for pupils with particular requirements. For example, this includes reflecting dietary and cultural needs. School food policies work best when schools discuss them with parents and pupils, so that parents can raise pupils’ particular dietary needs.</p><p>The government also recognises the valuable contribution plant-based foods and drinks make to the diet, alongside the contribution that fish and animal-based foods and drinks can have. For example, plant-based foods including beans, pulses, and meat and plant-based drinks are included in the government’s Eatwell Guide, accessible here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide</a>. These foods are highlighted within the food groups of the guide, as they can be considered more environmentally sustainable and promote a diet that is lower in saturated fat and higher in fibre.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince question first answered 24/03/2022 12:43:39 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1453163

	registered interest
	date	22/03/2022
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Special Educational Needs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy of waiting times for special educational needs assessments and (b) potential effect of those waiting times on the education of affected young people.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	144832
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2022 answer text <p>The department closely monitors the timeliness of local authority assessments of education, health and care (EHC) plans. In the calendar year 2020, national special educational needs (SEN) 2 data showed that the proportion of plans completed within 20 weeks was 58% (in Kirklees it was 83.4%). The department recognises there is variation across local authorities in assessment and that delays may have an effect on the delivery of provision that is needed by children and young people. That is why local authorities can make provision and placements available during an assessment, rather than waiting for the final plan to be issued.</p><p> </p><p>The department is committed to supporting and monitoring local authorities and their partners to improve special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services, including providing direct support and challenge to individual areas, and delivering regular training programmes on statutory EHC plan duties. Additionally, the department works with SEND and National Health Service England (NHSE) Advisers on improvement work with local areas where significant performance issues are identified in an Ofsted/Care Quality Commission (CQC) joint area SEND inspection. We are currently working with partners on a new area SEND inspection framework.</p><p> </p><p>The SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper was published on 29 March 2022. These set out a suite of proposed reforms that seek to create a coherent education, health and care system that works in the interests of all children in England and levels up opportunities. The department is providing opportunities for children, parents, carers and those working across the SEND system to provide feedback during the 13-week consultation period.</p><p> </p><p>In the 2022/23 financial year, local authorities will have access to £54.1 billion core spending power (£3.7 billion more than this financial year and a 4.5% growth in real terms) to deliver their services, including for children and young people with SEND. As part of this, the government also boosted the social care grant, increasing it to over £2.3 billion.</p><p> </p><p>United Learning consists of two charities, which are responsible for the operation of the Group’s schools. The Schools White Paper sets out the vision for a stronger and fairer school system that works for every child, encouraging the growth of the best school trusts as the collaborative structure best suited to supporting quality teaching. This will be delivered in close alignment with the findings of the SEND Review.</p> answering member constituency Colchester answering member printed Will Quince grouped question UIN 146557 146559 146561 146562 146564 question first answered 01/04/2022 13:59:56 answering member 4423 label Biography information for Will Quince
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman