Education

Thursday 8th February 2024 Ministerial Corrections

School Attendance (Duties of Local Authorities and Proprietors of Schools) Bill

The following is an extract from the Second Reading debate on the School Attendance (Duties of Local Authorities and Proprietors of Schools) Bill on Friday 2 February 2024.

[Damian Hinds]

We have launched 32 attendance hubs, to reach more than 1 million pupils. And we have expanded our attendance mentor pilot, as my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Jo Gideon) rightly mentioned, to reach 15 priority education investment areas.

[Official Report, 2 February 2024, Vol. 744, c. 1175.]

Letter of correction from the Minister for Schools, the right hon. Member for East Hampshire (Damian Hinds):

An error has been identified in my speech on Second Reading of the School Attendance (Duties of Local Authorities and Proprietors of Schools) Bill.

The correct information should have been:

[Damian Hinds]

We have launched 32 attendance hubs, to reach more than 1 million pupils. And we will be expanding our attendance mentor pilot, as my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke-on-Trent Central (Jo Gideon) rightly mentioned, to reach 15 priority education investment areas.

Topical Questions

The following is an extract from Education questions on 29 January 2024:

[Sir Jeremy Quin (Horsham) (Con)]

Educational psychologists are enormously important. What progress are the Government making on their current recruitment drive to increase their number?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (David Johnston)]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. This is a highly competitive training scheme. Between 2017 and 2019 the Department filled all 160 of its funded training places per year, and since 2020 it has filled all 200 of the funded places each year. We have now committed to training a further 400 educational psychologists.

[Official Report, 29 January 2024, Vol. 744, c. 605.]

Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the hon. Member for Wantage (David Johnston):

An error has been identified in my response to my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Sir Jeremy Quin) during Education questions. My response should have been:

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (David Johnston)]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. This is a highly competitive training scheme. In 2018 and 2019 the Department filled all 160 of its funded training places per year, and since 2020 it has filled all 200 of the funded places each year. We have now committed to training a further 400 educational psychologists.