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1687359

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Educational Institutions: Food
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent guidance her Department has provided to (a) schools and (b) other educational institutions on food (i) labelling and (ii) allergens.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	13016
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The department provides statutory guidance for schools, ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions’, which makes clear that schools should ensure they are aware of any pupils with allergies and have processes in place to ensure these can be well managed. The guidance is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3</a>. Further information is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/allergy-guidance-for-schools" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools/allergy-guidance-for-schools</a>. <br> <br> In early years settings, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework sets the standards that all registered early years providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to age five. The framework is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2</a>.</p><p>The EYFS states that before a child is admitted to the setting the provider must also obtain information about any special dietary requirements, preferences and food allergies that the child has, and any special health requirements.</p><p>The EYFS signposts to the Department of Health and Social Care document ‘Example menus for early years settings in England’ which includes guidance on menu planning, food safety, managing food allergies and reading food labels, which staff preparing food will find helpful in ensuring that children are kept safe. The guidance is available at: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/658870/Early_years_menus_part_1_guidance.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/658870/Early_years_menus_part_1_guidance.pdf</a>.</p><p>The ‘Help for early years providers’ online platform, owned by the department, has a food safety page which also signposts to resources on allergies. This page is available at: <a href="https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety#allergies" target="_blank">https://help-for-early-years-providers.education.gov.uk/safeguarding-and-welfare/food-safety#allergies</a>. The department is also developing nutrition content for the platform which will have a section on allergies and resources such as a common allergies table.</p><p>Higher education (HE) institutions and further education institutions are autonomous and it is the responsibility of individual HE institutions to implement and adhere to relevant guidelines with regards to labelling and allergens.</p><p>The Food Standards Agency (FSA) promotes its resources including information on allergen labelling and management to all food business operators including schools, nurseries, colleges, and other institutional caterers.</p><p>The FSA has published guidance relevant to schools and other educational institutions including sector specific guidance in July 2021 for new allergen labelling legislation which came into force in October 2021. Guidance for institutional caterers (including schools) has been on the FSA website since at least 2017. This has links to training courses offered by allergy charities. In September 2020, the FSA also launched free allergen training which has had over 530,000 users to date, with nearly 75,000 of these being from the education sector.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 13/02/2024 14:08:25 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1687387

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Admissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report entitled Selective Comprehensives 2024, published by the Sutton Trust on 11 January 2024, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the school admissions code.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Sir Stephen Timms
uin	12887
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2024 answer text <p>The School Admissions Code sets the requirements for admission arrangements for all mainstream, state-funded schools. It requires admission arrangements to be fair, clear and objective, and contains various provisions to ensure that children from low-income backgrounds are not unfairly disadvantaged in the admissions system.</p><p> </p><p>The department keeps the provisions of the Code under review to ensure they continue to remain fit for purpose.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 08/02/2024 14:07:34 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1687436

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childcare: Fees and Charges
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the expansion in government funded childcare on the cost of paid for hours.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	12967
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2024 answer text <p>The department is providing over £4.1 billion by 2027/28 to fund 30 hours of free childcare per week (38 weeks per year) for eligible working parents with children aged 9 months to 3 years in England. This will remove one of the biggest barriers to working parents by vastly increasing the amount of free childcare that working families can access. Hundreds of thousands of children aged 3 and 4 are already registered for a 30-hour place, saving parents up to £6,000 a year. The department is expanding this entitlement across the country, which will save parents up to £6,500 per year per child. This will help even more working parents with the cost of childcare and make a real difference to the lives of those families. By 2027/28, the Office for Budget Responsibility expects around 60,000 parents to enter employment, in addition to 1.5 million mothers of young children already in work who will increase their working hours.</p><p>In addition to the expanded entitlements, the government has also taken action to support parents on Universal Credit with childcare costs upfront when they need it, rather than in arrears. The department has increased support for these parents by increasing the childcare cost maximum amounts to £950 for one child and £1629 for two children.</p><p>Tax-Free Childcare remains available for working parents of children aged 0-11, or up to 17 for eligible disabled children. This can save parents up to £2,000 per year, or up to £4,000 for eligible children with disabilities, and has the same income criteria as 30 hours free childcare.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 12/02/2024 16:41:50 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

1687445

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department issues on the minimum temperature at which a temporary classroom can be safely used.
tabling member constituency	City of Durham
tabling member printed	Mary Kelly Foy
uin	13067
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2024 answer text <p>Guidance on recommended temperatures for classrooms are included in the energy efficiency guidance for schools. This guidance is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-efficiency-guidance-for-the-school-and-fe-college-estate/energy-efficiency-guidance-for-the-school-and-further-education-college-estate#heating" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-efficiency-guidance-for-the-school-and-fe-college-estate/energy-efficiency-guidance-for-the-school-and-further-education-college-estate#heating</a>.</p><p> </p><p>More generally, the Health and Safety Executive’s published guidance includes the recommended minimum temperature for working indoors. This guidance can be found at: <a href="https://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/employer/index.htm" target="_blank">https://www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/employer/index.htm</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 08/02/2024 17:37:32 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4753 label Biography information for Mary Kelly Foy

1687447

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	St Leonard's Catholic School
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether all (a) books, (b) coursework and (c) other items have been retrieved from inaccessible parts of St Leonard’s Catholic School since September 2023.
tabling member constituency	City of Durham
tabling member printed	Mary Kelly Foy
uin	13069
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2024 answer text <p>The department funded and co-ordinated the decant of items from inaccessible parts of St Leonard’s Catholic School during the October 2023 half-term. The list of items for retrieval was provided by the school and these were recovered during this decant. In December 2023, the school advised officials that there were further items that they required. These were recovered on 6 December.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 08/02/2024 17:37:06 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4753 label Biography information for Mary Kelly Foy

1687449

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to allow for mitigating circumstances for pupils whose education has been disrupted due to the presence of RAAC.
tabling member constituency	City of Durham
tabling member printed	Mary Kelly Foy
uin	13071
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2024 answer text <p>Ofqual is the independent regulator of examinations and qualifications in England, and its statutory objectives are set out in Section 128 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. These include securing that ’regulated qualifications give a reliable indication of knowledge, skills and understanding’, and that ’regulated qualifications indicate a consistent level of attainment (including over time) between comparable regulated qualifications’.</p><p>It is important to ensure that all students taking comparable exams and assessments are assessed to the same standard in order to maintain qualification standards and public confidence in qualifications. If different standards are applied for different groups of students, then the qualification will cease to provide a reliable indication of the knowledge, skills and understanding that it is intended to measure.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 13/03/2024 16:34:46 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4753 label Biography information for Mary Kelly Foy

1687467

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Asbestos
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of how many schools who have incurred a financial cost to manage asbestos on their premises in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Harrow West
tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
uin	12893
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>Safe and well-maintained school buildings are a priority for the department. The department has allocated over £15 billion to improve the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion this financial year. This funding is informed by consistent data on the condition of the estate.</p><p>The department expects responsible bodies, including local authorities, governing bodies and academy trusts, to have robust plans in place to manage any asbestos in school buildings effectively in line with their legal duties.</p><p>The department follows advice from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which states that, as long as asbestos is in good condition, not vulnerable to damage and carefully managed, it is usually safer to manage it in situ. The department is committed to working collaboratively with HSE, as the regulator, to support schools and duty holders.</p><p>The department has not made an assessment of how many schools have incurred a financial cost to manage asbestos. Asbestos is managed by responsible bodies and schools at a local level, including determining how management is funded. The department supports them by providing guidance on the safe management of asbestos and providing access to capital funding each year. Schools are either eligible for School Condition Allocation funding to prioritise improving the condition of their schools, or they are able to bid into the Condition Improvement Fund annual bidding round, to apply for funding for specific capital projects. All schools also receive funding to spend on their capital priorities or to contribute to larger projects through an annual Devolved Formula Capital allocation. Condition funding can be used to remove asbestos when required, often as part of a wider condition project.</p><p>Where responsible bodies have serious issues with buildings that cannot be managed locally, the department provides additional support on a case-by-case basis.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 13/02/2024 12:41:51 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1687547

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 22 June 2023 to Question 189943 on Free School Meals: Finance, what assessment her Department has made of the report Hungry for Change, published on 27 June 2019 by Northumbria University.
tabling member constituency	St Albans
tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
uin	13147
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The department spends over £1 billion each year on free meals, which now support over one third of pupils in England. In 2023/24, the Free School Meal (FSM) factor of the National Funding Formula designates £480 per eligible pupil. This is increasing to £490 in 2024/25. Schools are allocated un-ringfenced funding through their core budgets to provide these free meals for disadvantaged pupils. This system recognises that schools are best placed to make decisions about how they use their funding and gives them considerable freedom in how they best deliver educational provision to their pupils.</p><p>The department is aware of concerns highlighted in the Hungry for Change report. It is for schools to deliver FSM provision and, in line with their duties, to ensure eligible pupils receive free and nutritious meals every day. Schools have freedom over the way in which they achieve this.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 13148 13149 question first answered 13/02/2024 14:04:05 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper

1687548

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether free school meal providers are entitled to keep money allocated to but not spent on free school meals.
tabling member constituency	St Albans
tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
uin	13148
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The department spends over £1 billion each year on free meals, which now support over one third of pupils in England. In 2023/24, the Free School Meal (FSM) factor of the National Funding Formula designates £480 per eligible pupil. This is increasing to £490 in 2024/25. Schools are allocated un-ringfenced funding through their core budgets to provide these free meals for disadvantaged pupils. This system recognises that schools are best placed to make decisions about how they use their funding and gives them considerable freedom in how they best deliver educational provision to their pupils.</p><p>The department is aware of concerns highlighted in the Hungry for Change report. It is for schools to deliver FSM provision and, in line with their duties, to ensure eligible pupils receive free and nutritious meals every day. Schools have freedom over the way in which they achieve this.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 13147 13149 question first answered 13/02/2024 14:04:05 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper

1687550

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Free School Meals: Finance
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 22 June 2023 to Question 189943 on Free School Meals: Finance, whether her Department issues guidance on recouping unspent funds allocated to free school meals.
tabling member constituency	St Albans
tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
uin	13149
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The department spends over £1 billion each year on free meals, which now support over one third of pupils in England. In 2023/24, the Free School Meal (FSM) factor of the National Funding Formula designates £480 per eligible pupil. This is increasing to £490 in 2024/25. Schools are allocated un-ringfenced funding through their core budgets to provide these free meals for disadvantaged pupils. This system recognises that schools are best placed to make decisions about how they use their funding and gives them considerable freedom in how they best deliver educational provision to their pupils.</p><p>The department is aware of concerns highlighted in the Hungry for Change report. It is for schools to deliver FSM provision and, in line with their duties, to ensure eligible pupils receive free and nutritious meals every day. Schools have freedom over the way in which they achieve this.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 13147 13148 question first answered 13/02/2024 14:04:05 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper