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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

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

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

891461

registered interest
date	25/04/2018
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 the Academies Financial Handbook, how many contentious connected party transactions were referred to the Education and Skills Funding Agency in each year since that requirement was introduced.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	138046
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2018 answer text <p>The primary responsibility for the oversight of trusts rests with the trustees themselves, supported by clear financial management and governance requirements set by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in the Academies Financial Handbook. Section 3.3 of the Academies Financial Handbook states that, “Novel, contentious and/or repercussive transactions must always be referred to ESFA for explicit prior authorisation.”</p><p> </p><p>The information requested is contained within individual case files and not in a centrally recorded format.</p><p>The Public Accounts Committee report on academy finances, published 30 March 2018, recommended that “To prevent abuse, the department should tighten the rules in the next version of the Academies Financial Handbook, expected in July 2018, to prevent academies from entering into related party transactions without approval from ESFA.” The government is currently considering the recommendation and will formally respond to the report in late May. <strong><br> </strong></p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 30/04/2018 16:07:42 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

891462

registered interest
date	25/04/2018
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 related party transactions by multi-academy trusts there have been in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
uin	138047
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2018 answer text <p>Any related party transactions undertaken by multi-academy trusts (MATs) would be disclosed in their audited annual accounts, which are publicly available. However, any figures for collated totals for all MATs across multiple years are not available.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 30/04/2018 16:04:20 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

857778

registered interest
date	08/03/2018
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 his Department has spent from the public purse on grants and loans to academies and free schools since 2015.
tabling member constituency	Bootle
tabling member printed	Peter Dowd
uin	131679
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2018 answer text <p>As of January 2018, 3.76 million pupils were being taught in academies, including free schools – 47% of the English school population. The department’s spend and loans to academies and free schools in the last two full Financial Years, is as detailed in the table attached.</p><p> </p><p>We are in the process of making a routine update to the data that we hold on pre and post-opening grant allocations for free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools, following the opening of new schools in September. We will be publishing the latest data on GOV.UK in due course.</p><p> </p><p>Further information can be found in the Department's Consolidated annual report and accounts, for the year ended 31 March 2017, available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reports" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dfe-annual-reports</a> and in the National Audit Office report on Converting maintained schools to academies, Feb 2018, which can be found at: <a href="https://www.nao.org.uk" target="_blank">https://www.nao.org.uk</a>.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 14/03/2018 17:37:22 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi attachment 1 file name 131679 Attach.docx title Spend and loans to academies and free schools previous answer version 47103 answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
tabling member	4397 label Biography information for Peter Dowd