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1186994

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Education: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the practical implications of maintaining safeguarding checks for adults working with children in the event that education providers share staffing resources during the covid-19 oubreak.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	33569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/03/2020 answer text <p>It is essential that schools and colleges continue with their statutory duties regarding safer recruitment during the COVID-19 state. Schools and colleges are still required to ensure that those working in their settings are suitable to work in the children’s workforce. The department has published safeguarding guidance, to help schools and colleges who are providing care for vulnerable children and children of critical workers to keep those children (anyone under the age of 18) safe whilst they are at school or college:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-safeguarding-in-schools-colleges-and-other-providers" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-safeguarding-in-schools-colleges-and-other-providers</a></p><p>This guidance includes advice on the portability of Disclosure and Barring Service checks where members of the school or college workforce are already engaging in regulated activity and have the appropriate check for that workforce. Schools and colleges should carry out a risk assessment in these circumstances as they would for a volunteer. Where schools and colleges are utilising volunteers, they should continue to follow the checking and risk assessment process as set out in the statutory safeguarding guidance, Keeping Children Safe in Education.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 30/03/2020 16:21:47 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

1186997

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his Department's plans are for children who were in the process of applying for an Education, Health and Care plan at the time schools were closed due to the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Ashton-under-Lyne
tabling member printed	Angela Rayner
uin	33571
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2020 answer text <p>The welfare of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and their parents or carers is a high priority for the government, especially during this period of uncertainty. We are working closely with colleagues across government to ensure that appropriate arrangements, and support, are in place for all of the department’s sectors – from early years and childcare to schools and children’s social care, and for vulnerable groups including children with special educational needs.</p><p>If the local authority has not yet issued an education, health and care (EHC) plan for a child, then they will not automatically be identified in the group of children considered to be vulnerable. However, educational settings and local authorities have discretion to undertake a risk assessment and offer support to children who are in the process of obtaining an EHC plan, and any other children they consider vulnerable, if that is needed.</p><p>If a child already has an EHC plan the local authority remains responsible for maintaining it, including until any appeal to the tribunal has been heard and resolved. However, the Coronavirus Act 2020 allows the Secretary of State for Education, where appropriate, to temporarily lift the statutory duty on local authorities to maintain the precise provision in EHC plans, with local authorities needing instead to apply ‘reasonable endeavours’ to support these children and their families. Any changes made to a child or young person’s provision in their EHC plan would only remain in place temporarily.</p><p>We are also proposing to amend SEND regulations to provide for flexibility over matters such as the timescales in EHC needs assessments, and the review, re-assessment and amendment processes where particular cases are affected by the COVID-19 situation.</p><p>The government has published guidance on ongoing provision for and vulnerable children which can be found at the link below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 08/04/2020 15:10:12 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4356 label Biography information for Angela Rayner

1187002

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if children living in temporary accommodation will be able to continue attending school.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Steve Reed
uin	33560
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2020 answer text <p>From Monday 23 March, all schools and childcare settings are closed except to vulnerable children and children of critical workers. Where the work of a parent or guardian is critical to our response to COVID-19, children should only be sent to school and/or a childcare provider where they cannot be cared for safely at home.</p><p>Vulnerable children include those who have a social worker and those children and young people up to the age of 25 with education, health and care plans. Those who have a social worker include children who have a child protection plan and those who are looked after by the local authority. A child may also be deemed to be vulnerable if they have been assessed as being in need or otherwise meet the definition in Section 17 of the Children Act 1989.</p><p>Leaders of educational settings and designated safeguarding leads know who their most vulnerable children are and will have the flexibility to offer a place to those on the edges of receiving children’s social care support.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 07/04/2020 07:53:23 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1187003

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children's Play
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance has been issued to local authorities on children’s play services.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Steve Reed
uin	33561
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2020 answer text <p>The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework sets the regulatory standards for learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements for all early years providers caring for children aged 5 and under. The framework defines 7 areas of learning and development and is clear that each area must be implemented through planned, purposeful play and through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity.</p><p>The EYFS does not promote a particular pedagogical approach - it is for individual early years settings to determine how the areas of learning should be implemented to support children to meet the expected level of development by the end of the reception year.</p><p>The EYFS Statutory Framework is available at the link below: <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> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 31/03/2020 16:54:15 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1187006

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Pupils: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has provided to (a) Pupil Referral Units and (b) other specialist or alternative education providers on regular physical contact with pupils during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Steve Reed
uin	33562
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2020 answer text <p>The department has published guidance to all schools, including Alternative Provision (AP) settings and pupil referral units (PRUs), on implementing social distancing in education and childcare settings. The guidance can be found at the link below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings</a>.</p><p> </p><p>We have also issued wider guidance regarding ongoing provision for vulnerable children, including in AP and PRUs:<br> <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people</a>.</p><p> </p><p>We will support these settings, via local authorities and other key agencies, to identify the best way to protect young people in AP and PRUs, and to keep them open where it is feasible to do so.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 31/03/2020 10:37:14 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1187091

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Children: Day Care
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support nursery and childcare providers can receive as a result of the packages of economic support he has announced over the last two weeks.
tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
uin	33451
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2020 answer text <p>The government has set out specific measures to support childcare providers during the COVID-19 outbreak:</p><ul><li>Funding for the government’s early years entitlements will continue during any periods of nursery, preschool or childminder closures or when children cannot attend</li><li>To support private nurseries at this time, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has also announced that they will be eligible for a business rates holiday for one year from 1 April</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p>Childcare providers will also benefit from the wider measures the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced to support the people and businesses of the UK:</p><ul><li>A three-point plan announced in the Budget providing £12 billion of support for public services, individuals and businesses whose finances are affected by the outbreak</li><li>A package to provide additional support for businesses and individuals totalling £350 billion</li><li>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms continue to keep people in employment. This means that businesses can put workers on temporary leave and the government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500, providing they keep the worker employed</li><li>A scheme to help the UK’s self-employed who are affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme will enable those eligible to receive a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profit over the last three years. This covers 95% of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment</li><li>On 28 March, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, announced that the government will also temporarily suspend the wrongful trading provisions to give company directors greater confidence to use their best endeavours to continue trading during this pandemic emergency, without the threat of personal liability should the company ultimately fall into insolvency</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p>The government is also providing the following additional support:</p><ul><li>deferral of Self-Assessment income tax payments due in July 2020 and VAT payments due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020</li><li>grants for businesses that pay little or no business rates</li><li>increased amounts of Universal Credit</li><li>the Coronavirus Bussiness Interruption Loan Scheme</li></ul><p> </p><p>The latest guidance from the department for early years and childcare providers can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford question first answered 06/04/2020 10:15:21 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1187092

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Nurseries: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether nurseries receiving support with the cost of employee salaries should stop or reduce charges to parents for services not being provided as a result of the closure of childcare and education settings.
tabling member constituency	Chipping Barnet
tabling member printed	Theresa Villiers
uin	33452
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2020 answer text <p>We are working hard to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on all parts of our society, including individuals and business. Childcare providers will have individual agreements with parents and therefore we urge all childcare providers to be reasonable and balanced in their dealings with parents, given the great uncertainty they will be facing too.</p><p>We acknowledge that in many cases, the insurance that early years providers have will not cover them for income lost during COVID-19-related closures. That is one of the reasons why we announced on 17 March that we will continue to pay funding to local authorities for the early years entitlements for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds and that funding would not be clawed back from local authorities due to closures or children being unable to attend.</p><p>We expect local authorities to follow the Department for Education’s position and to continue paying childminders, schools and nurseries for the early years entitlements – even if providers have suspended delivery of those entitlements due to COVID-19. This protects a significant proportion of early years providers’ income. In addition, the government has set out a range of support for businesses and workers to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on them. Many early years providers will qualify for this support.</p><p>This support being provided for individuals includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which means that for each employee not working but kept on payroll, the government will contribute 80% of their wages up to £2,500, backdated to 1 March 2020. Self-employed people may be eligible for taxable grants under the government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Self-employment Income Support Scheme. Further details of these schemes can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme</a> and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme</a>.</p><p>Details of further assistance and benefits available for individuals can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19/support-for-those-affected-by-covid-19</a>.</p><p>We will be keeping under close review what further support businesses and workers may require.</p><p>Guidance on closures of childcare and early years settings is available: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures</a>.</p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 32055 question first answered 08/04/2020 15:05:07 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	1500 label Biography information for Theresa Villiers

1187121

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Childminding: 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 support childminders' businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
uin	33647
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2020 answer text <p>The government has set out specific measures to support childcare providers during the COVID-19 outbreak:</p><ul><li>Funding for the government’s early years entitlements will continue during any periods of nursery, preschool or childminder closures or when children cannot attend</li><li>To support private nurseries at this time, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has also announced that they will be eligible for a business rates holiday for one year from 1 April</li></ul><p> </p><p>Childcare providers will also benefit from the wider measures the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced to support the people and businesses of the UK:</p><ul><li>A three-point plan announced in the Budget providing £12 billion of support for public services, individuals and businesses whose finances are affected by the outbreak</li><li>A package to provide additional support for businesses and individuals totalling £350 billion</li><li>The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms continue to keep people in employment. This means that businesses can put workers on temporary leave and the government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500, providing they keep the worker employed</li></ul><ul><li>A scheme to help the UK’s self-employed who are affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme will enable those eligible to receive a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profit over the last three years. This covers 95% of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment</li><li>On 28 March, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, announced that the government will also temporarily suspend the wrongful trading provisions to give company directors greater confidence to use their best endeavours to continue trading during this pandemic emergency, without the threat of personal liability should the company ultimately fall into insolvency</li></ul><p> </p><p>The government is also providing the following additional support:</p><ul><li>deferral of Self-Assessment income tax payments due in July 2020 and VAT payments due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020</li><li>grants for businesses that pay little or no business rates</li><li>increased amounts of Universal Credit</li><li>the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme</li></ul><p> </p><p>The latest guidance from the department for early years and childcare providers can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 33717 question first answered 06/04/2020 10:16:05 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1187166

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure that children and young people with (a) speech, language and communication needs and (b) other special educational needs and disabilities continue to receive adequate support during the school closure period.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	33400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2020 answer text <p>We are working closely with colleagues across government to ensure that all appropriate arrangements, and support, are in place for all DfE sectors – from the early years and childcare, schools and children’s social care, and for vulnerable groups including children with special educational needs.</p><p>We understand that parents will be worried about continued provision for their children with special educational needs now that schools have closed. Local authorities, schools and colleges, together with parents, should assess the risks to children and young people with Education, Health and Care plans (EHC plans) to judge whether they can be safely cared for at home or whether it is safer for them to remain at school or college. Local authorities and education settings have discretion to do a similar risk assessment for any individual children and young people who do not have an EHC plan but who have complex needs that could mean it is safer for them to be at school or college than at home.</p><p>The government has published questions and answers about the provisions being made for vulnerable children and young people, which can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people</a>.</p><p>We have also published guidance to support management of children and young people in residential educational settings, including boarding schools, residential special schools and specialist colleges and children’s homes: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-isolation-for-residential-educational-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-isolation-for-residential-educational-settings</a>.</p><p>Further useful guidance on social distancing can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings</a>.</p><p>We encourage people to keep up to date by regularly checking the GOV.UK webpages, which is where we will publish reliable updates and guidance.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 33401 question first answered 08/04/2020 15:07:36 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

1187167

registered interest
date	23/03/2020
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Schools: Special Educational Needs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to issue guidance to (a) speech and language specialists and (b) other specialist staff who work in schools on continued support for children and young people during the school closure period.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	33401
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2020 answer text <p>We are working closely with colleagues across government to ensure that all appropriate arrangements, and support, are in place for all DfE sectors – from the early years and childcare, schools and children’s social care, and for vulnerable groups including children with special educational needs.</p><p>We understand that parents will be worried about continued provision for their children with special educational needs now that schools have closed. Local authorities, schools and colleges, together with parents, should assess the risks to children and young people with Education, Health and Care plans (EHC plans) to judge whether they can be safely cared for at home or whether it is safer for them to remain at school or college. Local authorities and education settings have discretion to do a similar risk assessment for any individual children and young people who do not have an EHC plan but who have complex needs that could mean it is safer for them to be at school or college than at home.</p><p>The government has published questions and answers about the provisions being made for vulnerable children and young people, which can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people</a>.</p><p>We have also published guidance to support management of children and young people in residential educational settings, including boarding schools, residential special schools and specialist colleges and children’s homes: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-isolation-for-residential-educational-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-isolation-for-residential-educational-settings</a>.</p><p>Further useful guidance on social distancing can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings</a>.</p><p>We encourage people to keep up to date by regularly checking the GOV.UK webpages, which is where we will publish reliable updates and guidance.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chelmsford answering member printed Vicky Ford grouped question UIN 33400 question first answered 08/04/2020 15:07:36 answering member 4674 label Biography information for Vicky Ford
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe