The Adoption Support Fund budget, spend and proportion spent as at 14 July 2021, is set out below.<\/p>
2021/22 Budget<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Spend<\/strong><\/p><\/td> Proportion Spent<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> £46m<\/p><\/td> £31,203,545<\/p><\/td> 67%<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4674", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Ford"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chelmsford"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Vicky Ford"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-19T13:45:43.223Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Adoption Support Fund"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the budget is for the Adoption Support Fund for the financial year 2021-22; and how much and what proportion of that budget has been spent as of 14 July 2021.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4061", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Bill Esterson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Sefton Central"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Bill Esterson"}
], "uin" : "33209"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1346910", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1346910/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The department funded Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, which has provided healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children, has been expanded to every local authority across England this year, backed by up to £220 million. It builds on previous programmes, including last summer\u2019s, which supported around 50,000 children across 17 local authorities.<\/p> Ordinarily we require HAF provision to be face to face. However, we offered greater flexibility during the Easter holiday which led to every local authority delivering provision. Survey information from local authorities suggests hundreds of thousands of children benefited from attending holiday activities and food clubs across England.<\/p> We do not hold robust data on the number of children that benefited by area for Easter. All local authorities will be delivering provision across the summer. An independent evaluation of the HAF programme over the summer will take place.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4674", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Ford"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chelmsford"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Vicky Ford"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-19T13:53:04.813Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Holiday Activities and Food Programme"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children took part in the Holiday Activities and Food programme in the 2021 Easter holidays in (a) total and (b) each local authority in England.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4505", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Peter Kyle"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hove"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Peter Kyle"}
], "uin" : "33289"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1346265", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1346265/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Information on the number of qualified teachers of the deaf is not collected centrally.<\/p> The department is firmly committed to ensuring that children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), including hearing impairments, receive the support they need to achieve in their early years, at school and college. High needs funding, which is specifically for supporting children with more complex SEND, will be increasing by £780 million in the financial year 2022-23. This comes on top of the over £1.5 billion increase over the previous two years and will bring the overall total of funding for high needs to £8.9 billion. Within that total, the provisional allocation to the London Borough of Barnet is £65.3 million, an 8% per head increase on the £60.5 million of high needs funding that council is receiving this financial year. Decisions about how that funding is used, including for the employment of specialist teachers for deaf children, are made by local authorities.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4674", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Ford"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chelmsford"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Vicky Ford"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "32361"}
, {"_value" : "32362"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-21T11:32:44.06Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Teachers: Hearing Impairment"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of Qualified Teachers of the Deaf in the London Borough of Barnet.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4006", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hendon"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Matthew Offord"}
], "uin" : "32360"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1346268", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1346268/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " We have spent over £3.5 billion in each of the past 3 years on our early education entitlements and the government continues to support families with their childcare costs. On 25 November 2020, we announced a £44 million investment for the 2021-22 financial year, for local authorities to increase hourly rates paid to childcare providers. The Early Years National Funding Formula allocates our funding fairly and transparently.<\/p> <\/p> Last year, when access to childcare was restricted to vulnerable children and the children of critical workers, the government block-bought early years places so that childcare providers received early entitlement funding even when children were not able to attend settings. On 1 June 2020, early years was one of the first sectors to re-open, and has been able to welcome all children to settings ever since. The government has also provided unprecedented support to businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak, through schemes such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. As a result, childcare providers have been able to furlough their staff whereby they have experienced a drop in their income from parents or government to help with staffing costs.<\/p> <\/p> As with other sectors, the COVID-19 outbreak has been an uncertain time for childcare providers, with many reporting concerns about long term viability of their settings as a result. Our policy is to ensure that there are sufficient childcare places to meet demand from parents. Despite the level of uncertainty faced by providers over the COVID-19 outbreak, Ofsted data shows that as of 31 March 2021, the number of childcare places for providers on the Early Years Register has remained broadly stable since August 2015. This is in the context of declining birth rate (in 2019 there was a 12.2% decrease in live births since the most recent peak in 2012).<\/p> <\/p> A recent survey by Ipsos MORI in March 2021 found that nearly nine in ten (88%) parents of 0 to 4 year olds whose child used formal childcare before COVID-19 reported that their child was using formal childcare at the time of the survey.<\/p> <\/p> We liaise regularly with local authorities and they have not reported to us a significant number of parents unable to secure a childcare place, this term or since early years settings re-opened fully on 1 June 2020. Where parents have been unable to temporarily secure a childcare place (for example, due to their usual setting being temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak), this has been able to be quickly resolved locally, and local authorities are not reporting significant sufficiency of supply issues. We continue to work with local authorities and the sector to ensure there is sufficient, safe and affordable childcare for those who need it most.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4674", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Ford"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chelmsford"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Vicky Ford"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-21T09:25:00.3Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pre-school Education: Finance"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the financial effect of losing fee paying families on early years education providers during the covid-19 outbreak.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1406", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Jon Cruddas"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dagenham and Rainham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Jon Cruddas"}
], "uin" : "32293"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1345793", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1345793/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The department-funded holiday activities and food (HAF) programme, which has provided healthy food and enriching activities to disadvantaged children, has been expanded to every local authority across England this year and is backed by up to £220 million of funding. It builds on previous programmes, including last summer\u2019s, which supported around 50,000 children across 17 local authorities.<\/p> Durham County Council has been allocated a maximum of £2,532,180 to deliver HAF programmes over Easter, summer, and Christmas 2021.<\/p> The maximum allocations for the other councils in the North East are as follows:<\/p> Darlington - £519,040<\/p> Gateshead - £902,440<\/p> Hartlepool - £664,030<\/p> Middlesbrough - £1,143,010<\/p> Newcastle upon Tyne - £1,846,420<\/p> North Tyneside - £896,960<\/p> Northumberland - £1,128,130<\/p> Redcar and Cleveland - £743,920<\/p> South Tyneside - £831,630<\/p> Stockton-on-Tees - £980,900<\/p> Sunderland - £1,491,000<\/p> <\/p> Further to this, the Department for Work and Pensions has extended the COVID Local Support Scheme (previously the COVID Winter Grant Scheme) for every English council, to the 30 September, with an additional £160 million.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4674", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Ford"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chelmsford"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Vicky Ford"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-15T16:16:40.59Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Holiday Activities and Food Programme: North East"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding (a) Durham County Council and (b) each other council in the North East has received from the Holiday Activities and Food programme in 2021.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4813", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mr Richard Holden"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Durham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mr Richard Holden"}
], "uin" : "31562"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1345825", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1345825/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The government is committed to ensuring that advocacy services are improved for looked-after children and care leavers.<\/p> The commitment to consulting on a revised and fully updated version of the National Standards for the Provision of Children\u2019s Advocacy Services is being taken forward and we intend to launch the consultation in due course.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4674", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Ford"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chelmsford"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Vicky Ford"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-07-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-07-15T16:17:51.953Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2021-07-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Children: Advocacy"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to his Department\u2019s announcement in March 2020 that the national standards for the provision of children\u2019s advocacy services would be revised, when he plans for the public consultation on those revisions to be launched.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4518", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tulip Siddiq"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hampstead and Kilburn"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tulip Siddiq"}
], "uin" : "31487"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1345838", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1345838/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Schools provide free school meals for eligible pupils during term time. Beyond that, billions of pounds of welfare assistance is in place to support families, young people and children.<\/p> The COVID Local Support Grant, established by the Department for Work and Pensions and operated through local authorities in England, is there to support the hardest hit families and individuals with food and essential utility costs. This grant has been extended for a final time, with a further investment of £160 million, to cover the period up to 30 September 2021.<\/p> This grant is further to the £269 million invested since the scheme (previously known as the COVID Winter Grant Scheme) launched in December 2020.<\/p> The funding remains ring-fenced, with at least 80% targeted to assist with food and bills, and at least 80% for families with children. Local authorities have discretion to decide how to allocate government funding in their areas, recognising that they are best placed to understand local needs. Local authorities have the flexibility within the scheme to identify which vulnerable households are in most need of support and apply their own discretion when identifying eligibility.<\/p> |