Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label attachment file name title previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1133338

registered interest
date	19/06/2019
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 criteria (a) his Department and the Education and (b) the Skills Funding Agency use to assess the allocation of funding to academy trusts to protect the provision of education.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	266824
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has a robust intervention strategy that fits within the overall academy accountability framework. Intervention is always proportionate, risk-based and built on funding agreement and academies financial handbook non-compliance.</p><p>Where the ESFA intervenes, we work with each trust to put in place a recovery process that underpins education provision with strong financial management and oversight. This can include the provision of funding, issuing a Financial Notice to Improve or, in the most serious cases, termination of the Funding Agreement.</p><p>Where the provision of funding is considered, this will be done on a case-by case basis, as part of our intervention with the trust.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi grouped question UIN 266825 question first answered 24/06/2019 15:54:35 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

1131213

registered interest
date	11/06/2019
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, if he will list for each multi-academy trust that has had deficit funding approved (a) the amount of funding approved, (b) whether it is linked to a financial turnaround plan, (c) the period it covers, (d) the date on which it was approved by the Education and Skills Funding Agency or the Department and (e) the amount that is recoverable and non-recoverable in each case.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	263155
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2019 answer text <p>Academy trusts have primary responsibility for their own financial affairs and where the Education and Skills Funding Agency intervene, we work with each trust to put in place a recovery process that underpins education provision with strong financial management and oversight. This can include the provision of deficit funding, issuing a financial notice to improve or, in the most serious cases, termination of the Funding Agreement.</p><p>Where we have provided deficit funding as part of this process, this information is reflected in trusts’ accounts. Attached is a document setting out deficit funding information for the most recent year available, financial year 2017-18. The department records deficit funding by the academy that funding is associated with and this is also reflected in the attached document.</p><p>As of March 2018, the total number of academies for which deficit funding was agreed in financial year 2017-18, reflects less than 1% of all open academies, and less than 0.2% of the total funding allocated to academies for the 2017-18 academic year.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 17/06/2019 15:22:37 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi attachment 1 file name 263155_Academy_deficit_funding.pdf title 263155_table
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

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

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

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

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

903942

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 have received emergency funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency in the current financial year; and the total amount of emergency funding that was allocated.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
uin	143829
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 143828 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