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1019963

registered interest
date	04/12/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent on rebrokering academies in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	198836
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2018 answer text <p>Information on academy transfers (sometimes referred to as ‘rebrokerage’), and the grant funding provided for those during the financial years 2013-14 to 2017-18 is published here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/academy-transfers-and-funding-england-financial-year-2017-to-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/academy-transfers-and-funding-england-financial-year-2017-to-2018</a>.</p><p>In the financial year 2017-18, around a half of trust moves were single academy trusts joining multi-academy trusts (MATs). The department is actively encouraging single academy trusts to join MATs and we would expect to see this trend continue.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 13/12/2018 15:50:54 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi previous answer version 91103 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

1002594

registered interest
date	06/11/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department’s policy is on the period in which a multi-academy trust must repay advances made by the Education and Skills Funding Agency; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	188839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/11/2018 answer text <p>An advance to an academy trust is an early payment on its General Annual Grant, which is allocated to the trust for that year. It is not additional funding for the trust. With each advance, there will be a mutually agreed schedule of monthly reductions to offset the advance.</p><p> </p><p>The department continues to work with the sector to build capacity and expertise in financial management and support effective school resource management with specialist advisers, three year financial forecasting and developing buying hubs and national deals for all schools. Where an academy trust requires additional support, the Education and Skills Funding Agency will work with the trust to build its capacity and help it reach a stronger position.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 15/11/2018 14:33:15 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

982526

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
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 financial transparancy in academy trusts.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	176650
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2018 answer text <p>The department requires a high level of transparency of academy trusts. All academy trusts must have an annual independent audit of their annual accounts by a registered statutory auditor and academy trusts must be open and transparent and publish their accounts. This is not a requirement of local authority maintained schools.</p><p> </p><p>Academy trusts must prepare annual accounts. This provides considerably more information than other schools and provides a far higher level of public scrutiny than is required of local authority schools. Their financial performance is instead summarised within the authorities’ accounts. In addition, academy trusts are audited externally to international auditing standards, again this is not required of local authority schools.</p><p> </p><p>The department also publishes the ‘Consolidated Annual Report and Accounts’, based on returns from all academies in England. The reports are available for public scrutiny at GOV.UK. The most recent report covering 2015/16 is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academies-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2015-to-2016" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academies-consolidated-annual-report-and-accounts-2015-to-2016</a>. We aim to publish the report for 2016/17 in October.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 11/10/2018 16:38:25 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

982529

registered interest
date	08/10/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: 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 BBC Panorama investigation entitled Profits before Pupils? broadcast on 13th September 2018, whether his Department plans to review financial governance in academies.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	176652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/10/2018 answer text <p>Academy trusts have primary responsibility for their own financial affairs and the department’s relationship with them is based on the principle of self-governance, founded on a clear framework communicated and regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), through trusts’ funding agreement and the Academies Financial Handbook. If academy trusts are governed well and in accordance with the framework then the Secretary of State’s interaction with them will be limited. If not, then intervention may be required.</p><p> </p><p>Academy trusts must implement the right financial procedures including internal checks of compliance. They must have an audit committee, or equivalent, to manage their risks and oversee checks of systems of control. They must take ownership of balancing their budget and send a copy to the ESFA in advance of each year.</p><p> </p><p>These requirements are strengthened by external scrutiny – academy trusts’ annual accounts must be reviewed by an independent auditor. This makes oversight more independent and more transparent than for local authority schools who are not required to prepare individual statutory accounts – their financial performance is instead summarised within the authorities’ accounts.</p><p> </p><p>We are not, however, complacent and are continually looking to develop and strengthen our approach. The Academies Financial Handbook is strengthened annually to enhance the accountability and governance framework. The department published a new edition in June 2018 and the main changes were:</p><ul><li>Executive pay – even more focus on the board’s responsibility for ensuring decisions about senior leaders’ pay are proportionate, justifiable and clearly documented.</li><li>Related party transactions (RPTs) – embedding a new requirement for trusts to report all RPTs to the ESFA in advance and to seek approval for those over £20,000.</li><li>Management accounts – emphasising a rigorous approach to setting and monitoring financial plans, including board engagement.</li><li>Audit findings – being clear that trusts must respond in an appropriate and timely manner to advice from auditors, taking opportunities to strengthen their systems.</li></ul> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 16/10/2018 09:28:57 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

935079

registered interest
date	05/07/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: 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 15 June 2018 to Question 152777 on Academies: Finance, which contentious connected party transactions were referred to the Education and Skills Funding Agency relating to (a) Collective Spirit Multi Academy Trust, (b) Wakefield City Academies Trust and (c) Bright Tribe multi-academy trust; and what action was taken as a result of each referral.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	161173
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2018 answer text <p>In adhering with accounting standards, academy trusts are required to disclose all related party transactions in their accounts, this being an illustration of the high levels of transparency that we require of academy trusts. There is no equivalent requirement for local authority schools to disclose such transactions, as they are not required to prepare or publish individual accounts.</p><p> </p><p>The referrals for both Bright Tribe and Collective Spirit Multi Academy Trust are currently being assessed. The referral for Wakefield City Academies Trust has been considered and the trust has disclosed the transactions in their published accounts, available on the Companies House website.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 10/07/2018 16:56:48 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

922441

registered interest
date	12/06/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: 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 11 June to Question 140739, which multi academy trusts (MATs) have been funded through the £22,445,410 to increase MAT capacity; how much each MAT has received; and how many new schools each of those MATS has sponsored since they were awarded that funding.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	152776
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2018 answer text <p>In 2016/17, £11,115,184 was allocated to multi-academy trusts (MATs) in the north through the Regional Academy Growth Fund (RAGF). A list of these trusts and how much each MAT received is attached.</p><p> </p><p>A list of all MATs that received capacity funding through RAGF is listed on GOV.UK:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regional-academy-growth-fund-award-recipients" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regional-academy-growth-fund-award-recipients</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Between 1 March 2017 and 1 May 2018, 173 schools have opened in trusts in the north that were awarded RAGF. This includes sponsored and converter academies which reflects the aims of the fund. It does not include free schools, studio schools, university technical colleges, academies that may have joined through re-brokerage from another trust, or schools that opened as part of these trusts before 1 March 2017 or those in the process of joining.</p><p> </p><p>A list of all open sponsored and converter academies can be found on GOV.UK along with the trust they joined and the date of opening within that trust: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-academies-and-academy-projects-in-development" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-academies-and-academy-projects-in-development</a>.</p><p> </p><p>In 2018/19, £11.3 million was provisionally allocated to MATs in the north through the MAT Development &amp; Improvement Fund (MDIF). In line with the department’s normal practice, we expect to publish details of the recipients of the MDIF on GOV.UK in due course.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 03/07/2018 14:41:21 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi attachment 1 file name 152776_Trusts_in_the_north_awarded_through_the_RAGF.doc title 152776_Trusts_in_the_north_awarded_through_RAGF previous answer version 63752 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

922445

registered interest
date	12/06/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: 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 11 June 2018 to Question 150687 on Academies: Finance, whether any contentious connected party transactions have ever been referred to the Education and Skills Funding Agency relating to (a) Collective Spirit Multi Academy Trust, (b) Wakefield City Academies Trust and (c) Bright Tribe multi-academy trust.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	152777
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2018 answer text <p>The Education and Skills Funding Agency can confirm that it has received referrals about the named academy trusts. Each referral is taken seriously and is reviewed, and appropriate action is taken where required.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 15/06/2018 13:26:40 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

918515

registered interest
date	06/06/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: 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 30 April 2018 to Question 138047 on Academies: Finance, what collated central information is held by (a) his Department and (b) it's agencies on related party transactions undertaken by multi academy trusts.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	150686
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2018 answer text <p>Related party transactions involving academy trusts encompass both receipts by and payments by trusts and so there are separate totals for each. This information, including both payments made by and receipts received by academy trusts, was included for the first time in the Academies Sector Annual Report and Accounts for the academic year 2015 to 2016. The information is not collected by single-academy and multi-academy trusts and so reflects all academy trusts.</p><p> </p><p><b>Payments made by academy trusts to related parties:</b></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Number of Related Party Transactions</p></td><td><p>2015/16 payments to related parties (£000)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£1 to £50,000</p></td><td><p>2,636</p></td><td><p>24,627</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£50,001 to £100,000</p></td><td><p>183</p></td><td><p>12,585</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£100,001 to £200,000</p></td><td><p>119</p></td><td><p>16,006</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£200,001 to £250,000</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td><p>5,662</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£250,001+</p></td><td><p>70</p></td><td><p>61,922</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>TOTAL</p></td><td><p>3,033</p></td><td><p>120,802</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><b>Income received by academy trusts from related parties:</b></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Number of Related Party Transactions</p></td><td><p>2015/16 receipts from related parties (£000)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£1 to £50,000</p></td><td><p>857</p></td><td><p>9,574</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£50,001 to £100,000</p></td><td><p>135</p></td><td><p>9,541</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£100,001 to £200,000</p></td><td><p>88</p></td><td><p>11,471</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£200,001 to £250,000</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>3,565</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>£250,001+</p></td><td><p>59</p></td><td><p>39,066</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>TOTAL</p></td><td><p>1,155</p></td><td><p>73,217</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>As the tables above show, £120,802,000 (62%) of the total value of all related party transactions is accounted for by academy trusts making payments to related parties, whilst £73,217,000 (38%) represents income received by academy trusts from related parties. Income received from related parties includes; transactions with subsidiary companies or shared services, diocesan education authorities, related charities as well as donations or services provided by trustees, or trustees’ family members.</p><p> </p><p>This information was not previously collected in this format and we do not have comparable analysis for previous years.</p><p> </p><p>Academy trusts, including multi-academy trusts, are required to disclose all related party transactions in their audited annual accounts, which are publicly available for all years the academy trust has been in operation. The department has recently introduced additional requirements through the 2018 edition of the Academies Financial Handbook, in relation to related party transactions, which will take effect from 1 April 2019. These will require trusts to notify the department of any such transaction in advance of them occurring and to seek approval for any where the value, individually or in aggregate, exceeds £20,000.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 15/06/2018 12:34:27 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

918518

registered interest
date	06/06/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: 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 30 April 2018 to Question 138046 on Academies: Finance, whether a contentious connected party transaction has been referred to the Education and Skills Funding Agency in the last twelve months.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	150687
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2018 answer text <p>As confirmed in the response of 30 April 2018, the information requested on contentious connected party transactions is contained within individual case files and not in a centrally recorded format.</p><p> </p><p>My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State confirmed in his 9 June speech to the National Governance Association, that academy trusts will have to seek approval from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for Related Party Transaction payments of more than £20,000 and that all transactions below £20,000 will need to be declared. The ESFA will implement the changes during the 2018-19 academic year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 11/06/2018 16:11:39 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

903940

registered interest
date	14/05/2018
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Academies: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Academy Trusts reported a severe financial deficit to the Education and Skills Funding Agency in financial year 2018-19.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
uin	143828
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2018 answer text <p>The Education and Skills Funding Agency’s (ESFA) records show that one academy trust has reported a severe deficit in the 2018-19 financial year and two academy trusts received unscheduled funding payments totalling £230,000 in the same period (as at 15 May 2018). In the most serious cases, the ESFA provide additional funding to protect the education of children. Academy trusts are expected to repay any additional funding once they have reached a stable financial position.</p><p> </p><p>Academy trust accountability is founded on a clear framework communicated and regulated by the ESFA, with effective oversight and compliance based on proportionate risk assessment, and robust intervention when concerns arise. To ensure strong external scrutiny, all academy trusts must have an annual external audit of their annual accounts by a registered statutory auditor and the department expect trusts to act on audit findings as an opportunity to strengthen their systems. Auditors must apply national auditing standards set by the Financial Reporting Council as independent regulator, and this provides the department with a high level of confidence that scrutiny is professional and consistent.</p><p> </p><p>The ESFA works with academy trusts to prevent financial instability and enable them to recover their financial position and return to stable governance. When we intervene, we publish financial notices to improve (FNtI) and investigation reports to be transparent so that lessons can be learned. The sector remains in a strong position, with just over 1% of academy trusts subject to an active FNtI. Published FNtIs are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/academies-financial-notices-to-improve" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/academies-financial-notices-to-improve</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The ESFA is also working with the sector to continue building capacity and expertise in financial management and forecasting. To reinforce the importance of three year financial planning, the ESFA are further strengthening budget forecasting. The ESFA CEO Eileen Milner wrote to academy trusts in March 2018 setting out the requirement for all academy trusts to submit three-year financial forecasts.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 143829 question first answered 17/05/2018 16:10:25 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock