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1205095

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Protective Clothing: Birmingham City Council
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports that Birmingham City Council was sent personal protective equipment (PPE) that was six years out of date; and whether his Department's policy is that date-expired PPE received by that Council is safe to use.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	61556
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2020 answer text <p>As part of the emergency personal protective equipment supply to support frontline services Birmingham City Council (BCC) accurately reported receiving 15,000 FFP3 masks with an expired date, via West Midlands &amp; Warwickshire (WM&amp;W) Local Resilience Forums (LRFs). It is correct that certification was not provided. Following reviewal however, WM&amp;W LRFs were assured that the PPE was safe to use via a letter sent on 23 April. During the pandemic certain PPE items may have out-of-date, or relabelled ‘use by/expiration’ dates, but all issued products have passed stringent tests demonstrating their safety. During tests the PPE is exposed to extreme conditions for prolonged periods, to see how the product deteriorates. All items that are not up to standard are destroyed and not distributed.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 17/07/2020 10:56:53 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1205155

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Israel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the effectiveness of contact-free covid-19 testing booths.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	61630
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/08/2020 answer text <p>The Department is regularly in discussions with other countries on a wide range of issues relating to COVID-19. This includes Israel, but this particular proposal is not an issue that has been raised during discussions between our nations. We are keen to learn from examples of best practice wherever they exist and the Department will continue to work with other countries throughout the crisis and beyond.</p> answering member constituency Mid Bedfordshire answering member printed Ms Nadine Dorries question first answered 19/08/2020 16:41:03 answering member 1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1205156

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Mental Health Services: Children and Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking ensure that children and young people who do not meet the CAMHS threshold have access to (a) mental health and (b) wellbeing support during summer 2020.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	61631
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2020 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for the City of Durham (Mary Foy MP) on 23 June 2020 to Question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-06-23/903710/" target="_blank">903710</a>.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Mid Bedfordshire answering member printed Ms Nadine Dorries grouped question UIN 62344 question first answered 03/07/2020 09:45:06 answering member 1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1205157

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Pupil Premium: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the potential merits of a catch-up pupil premium for schools.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	61632
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2020 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care routinely meets with the Secretary of State for Education to discuss a wide range of cross-cutting issues.</p><p>The Government have announced a £1 billion COVID-19 “catch-up” package to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching time. On 19 June the Education Endowment Foundation published a guide to help school leaders and staff decide how to use this universal funding to best support their pupils. Further information is available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Covid-19_Resources/Covid-19_support_guide_for_schools.pdf" target="_blank">https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Covid-19_Resources/Covid-19_support_guide_for_schools.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 07/07/2020 14:11:08 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1205163

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Overseas Students: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of international students who will study at UK universities in the 2020-21 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2020 answer text <p>In the 2018/19 academic year, tuition fees from international students at UK higher education providers accounted for around £7 billion of sector income. The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an unparalleled impact on all elements of the global and UK economies. The higher education sector, including student recruitment, is no exception. We have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts of COVID-19 on international student numbers, including restrictions on travel. We understand that the COVID-19 outbreak and a possible reduction in the number of international students poses significant challenges and we stand ready to help the sector with various mitigations.</p><p>On Monday 4 May, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the package of measures to stabilise university admissions this autumn and ensure sustainability in higher education at a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Full details of the package have been published on GOV.UK: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students</a>.</p><p>The government is also working to ensure that existing rules and regulations, including visa regulations, are as flexible as possible for international students under these unprecedented circumstances. For example, on 16 June, the government confirmed that distance/blended learning will be permitted for the 2020/21 academic year provided students intend to transition to face-to-face learning as soon as circumstances allow. In addition, higher education providers will be flexible in accommodating applicants’ circumstances where possible, including if applicants are unable to travel to the UK in time for the start of the academic year.</p><p>The new graduate route, due to be launched in summer 2021, provides an opportunity for international students who have been awarded their degree to stay and work in the UK at any skill level for 2 years. The government has also confirmed that those studying by distance/blended learning will be eligible to apply for the graduate route provided they are in the UK by 6 April 2021.</p><p>On Friday 5 June, the Department for Education announced Sir Steve Smith as the International Education Champion, a key deliverable of the 2019 International Education Strategy. Sir Steve Smith will assist with opening up export growth opportunities for the whole UK education sector, tackling international challenges such as those posed to attracting international students and forging lasting global connections. The International Education Strategy, published in March 2019 by the Department for Education and the Department for International Trade, set out a commitment to review progress following its publication.  The review, which we intend to publish this autumn, will ensure that the International Education Strategy responds to this new context and the challenges that are posed by COVID-19.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan question first answered 02/07/2020 17:02:33 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205164

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Students
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of domestic students who will study at UK universities in the 2020-21 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61575
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2020 answer text <p>Our most recent estimate of the number of English-domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants studying at UK universities in the 2020/21 academic year is 377,000. This estimate is from March 2020 (and pre-dates the COVID-19 outbreak). The department is working closely with the sector to understand the likely impacts of COVID-19 on the higher education (HE) sector, including student numbers, and has introduced a HE stabilisation package to support the stability of the HE sector and protect the interests of students.</p><p>There is no need for students to defer their studies this year if they do not wish to do so. Any student who wants to defer their studies should do so through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) system, but we would want to be sure that where they do so, they make their decision based on the best possible advice and information. The level of activity most recently reported by UCAS and the Student Loans Company (SLC) indicates that there are no signs of the level of deferrals being significantly different to that seen in previous years.</p><p>We have had regular discussions with sector representative bodies, such as Universities UK (UUK), since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. We know that UUK is working with their members and UCAS to provide as much clarity as possible to applicants about likely arrangements for the delivery of HE university courses this autumn.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61576 61580 question first answered 02/07/2020 16:31:55 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205165

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
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, what estimate his Department has made of the number of prospective students who will defer their studies at UK universities in the 2020-21 academic year as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61576
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2020 answer text <p>Our most recent estimate of the number of English-domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants studying at UK universities in the 2020/21 academic year is 377,000. This estimate is from March 2020 (and pre-dates the COVID-19 outbreak). The department is working closely with the sector to understand the likely impacts of COVID-19 on the higher education (HE) sector, including student numbers, and has introduced a HE stabilisation package to support the stability of the HE sector and protect the interests of students.</p><p>There is no need for students to defer their studies this year if they do not wish to do so. Any student who wants to defer their studies should do so through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) system, but we would want to be sure that where they do so, they make their decision based on the best possible advice and information. The level of activity most recently reported by UCAS and the Student Loans Company (SLC) indicates that there are no signs of the level of deferrals being significantly different to that seen in previous years.</p><p>We have had regular discussions with sector representative bodies, such as Universities UK (UUK), since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. We know that UUK is working with their members and UCAS to provide as much clarity as possible to applicants about likely arrangements for the delivery of HE university courses this autumn.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61575 61580 question first answered 02/07/2020 16:31:55 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205166

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to help prevent universities from becoming insolvent as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2020 answer text <p>The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak is bringing significant financial challenges to the higher education (HE) sector and we have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts.</p><p>On 4 May 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.</p><p>We have stabilised the admissions system and will pull forward tuition fee payments, expected to be worth £2.6 billion, for providers so that they receive more money in the first term of the 2020/21 academic year. This will have no impact on students but will allow providers to better manage financial risks over the autumn. This will be available to all providers across the UK. In reprofiling these payments, we are clear in our expectation that providers should use the cashflow benefits appropriately, taking significant steps to improve efficiencies and manage their finances in order to avoid cashflow problems in the future. Reprofiling in this way is a one-off intervention for the autumn term only, to help providers take all necessary steps now to prepare for the future.</p><p>On 27 June, the government announced a further package of support to research-active universities to enable them to continue their research and innovation activities. This includes £280 million of government funding, and a package of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants, which will be available from autumn. In sharing responsibility for the future of science and research with our world-leading university system, the government will cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 2020/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity.</p><p>The government has also confirmed that providers are eligible to apply for its support packages, including business loan support schemes, which the Office for Students (OfS) the regulator in England, estimates could be worth at least £700 million to the sector.</p><p>The department is working closely with HM Treasury and other government departments to develop a restructuring regime for HE providers in England. We will only intervene where we find there is a case to do so and only where we believe intervention is possible and appropriate, and as a last resort.  A restructuring regime will review providers’ circumstances and assess the need for restructuring, financial support and any attached conditions. We are discussing our approach with the devolved administrations.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61579 question first answered 10/07/2020 12:57:33 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205167

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Higher Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions has he had with representatives of universities on the planned (a) delivery and (b) format of higher education courses in the 2020-21 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61578
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2020 answer text <p>Departmental officials and I have been engaging with the sector to help to ensure that higher education providers can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and which help students achieve their academic goals. The vast majority of providers are planning for a mixture of face-to-face and online teaching in the autumn term, and we have already seen some fantastic, innovative preparations for blended education for the next academic year. Delivering through a mixture of face-to-face and online provision will enable them to prioritise safety and to comply with guidance from Public Health England.</p><p>Departmental officials are also working closely with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), which has recently published guidance, attached [1], setting out 4 key principles to inform providers as they plan for the next academic year. The principles are that any move to on-site activity is safe and secure for staff and students, that degree-awarding bodies maintain quality and standards in the move to flexible provision, that providers engage with students and staff in planning changes to delivery and assessment of teaching and learning and that providers' planning scenarios are flexible and responsive to students' needs.</p><p>As providers have moved a significant proportion of their provision online for both the remainder of the 2019/20 academic year and for the next academic year, maintaining the quality and value of online teaching and learning has been at the forefront of our actions. While the methods of delivery may have changed, we are engaging with the sector and the Office for Students (OfS) to ensure that the depth and breadth of the curriculum, the quality of the teaching and the value of the degree achieved are maintained. This will help to ensure that any online learning provides the same academic value to students as campus-based learning. <br> <br> The OfS and the Office for the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education have both also recently issued guidance on student and consumer protection issues during the COVID-19 outbreak. The OfS and I have been clear that providers should give students clear and transparent information on what they can expect from their course in the next academic year and the extent to which initial teaching will be online, how this will happen and what support there will be for online learning.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/guidance/preserving-quality-and-standards-through-a-time-of-rapid-change.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/guidance/preserving-quality-and-standards-through-a-time-of-rapid-change.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61582 question first answered 08/07/2020 15:48:45 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan attachment 1 file name 61578 61582 Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education guidance - 'Preserving quality and standards through a time of rapid change'.pdf title 61578_61582_guidance
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1205168

registered interest
date	18/06/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Universities: Coronavirus
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 provide additional financial support to universities to supplement any shortfall in funding as a result of declining student numbers in the 2020/21 academic year.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	61579
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2020 answer text <p>The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak is bringing significant financial challenges to the higher education (HE) sector and we have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts.</p><p>On 4 May 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.</p><p>We have stabilised the admissions system and will pull forward tuition fee payments, expected to be worth £2.6 billion, for providers so that they receive more money in the first term of the 2020/21 academic year. This will have no impact on students but will allow providers to better manage financial risks over the autumn. This will be available to all providers across the UK. In reprofiling these payments, we are clear in our expectation that providers should use the cashflow benefits appropriately, taking significant steps to improve efficiencies and manage their finances in order to avoid cashflow problems in the future. Reprofiling in this way is a one-off intervention for the autumn term only, to help providers take all necessary steps now to prepare for the future.</p><p>On 27 June, the government announced a further package of support to research-active universities to enable them to continue their research and innovation activities. This includes £280 million of government funding, and a package of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants, which will be available from autumn. In sharing responsibility for the future of science and research with our world-leading university system, the government will cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 2020/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity.</p><p>The government has also confirmed that providers are eligible to apply for its support packages, including business loan support schemes, which the Office for Students (OfS) the regulator in England, estimates could be worth at least £700 million to the sector.</p><p>The department is working closely with HM Treasury and other government departments to develop a restructuring regime for HE providers in England. We will only intervene where we find there is a case to do so and only where we believe intervention is possible and appropriate, and as a last resort.  A restructuring regime will review providers’ circumstances and assess the need for restructuring, financial support and any attached conditions. We are discussing our approach with the devolved administrations.</p> answering member constituency Chippenham answering member printed Michelle Donelan grouped question UIN 61577 question first answered 10/07/2020 12:57:33 answering member 4530 label Biography information for Michelle Donelan
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan