Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of offering free GCSE exams to children studying under Elective Home Education across England.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government provides funding to state schools and colleges, which covers examination entries for students who are on roll. When a parent chooses to educate their child outside of the school system, for any reason, they take full responsibility of their child’s education, including all associated costs, such as examination fees. For this reason, the department has not made an assessment of the potential merits of providing free GCSE examinations for home-educated pupils.
The Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act, when implemented, will introduce a new requirement for local authorities to provide information on accessing GCSE examinations to home-educating families in their areas who are registered with them and who request it, unless it would be unreasonable for them to do so. We will provide additional funding to support local authorities to fulfil their new duties.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the National Vocational Qualification for Pilots was removed in 1999 and what consideration has been made of introducing a new qualification that is not subject to VAT for pilot training.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Decisions around qualifications taken in 1999 were made by a previous government and the department has no further information to add to that made available at the time.
The First Officer Pilot Apprenticeship Standard, developed by industry, was introduced in 2019 with a funding band of £27,000, but is currently paused for starts due to low take-up. While National Vocational Qualifications continue to exist at levels 2 and 3 in certain sectors, the first officer apprenticeship is a level 6 standard. Skills England will keep the standard under review and remain open to lifting the pause should industry present evidence of demand.
VAT policy is the responsibility of His Majesty’s Treasury. The government keeps all taxes under regular review, and any proposals to amend the tax system must be considered in the context of wider public finances.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's timetable is for responding to the Setting up the School Support Staff Negotiating Body consultation.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is currently preparing the response to the public consultation on setting up the School Support Staff Negotiating Body for publication.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many UK-domiciled students received financial support from Government-backed mobility schemes to undertake a period of study at universities in Australia in 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department holds data on students at UK higher education (HE) providers who receive Turing Scheme funding for overseas placements. The department does not hold data on student domicile and figures therefore include international students. Students can undertake both study and work placements, and the following information reflects both the overall number of HE placements in each country, with the number of study placements in brackets.
In 2021/22, 2,467 students undertook placements in the United States (of which 2,138 were study placements), 938 in Canada (841 study placements), and 342 in Australia (313 study placements). Fewer than five students went to New Zealand and so these numbers are suppressed.
In 2022/23, 1,900 students went to the United States (1,277 study placements), 948 to Canada (860 study placements), 1,012 to Australia (863 study placements), and 79 to New Zealand (27 study placements).
In 2023/24, 1,610 students went to the United States (1,127 study placements), 700 to Canada (590 study placements), 983 to Australia (775 study placements), and 142 to New Zealand (74 study placements).
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many UK-domiciled students received financial support from Government-backed mobility schemes to undertake a period of study at universities in the United States in 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department holds data on students at UK higher education (HE) providers who receive Turing Scheme funding for overseas placements. The department does not hold data on student domicile and figures therefore include international students. Students can undertake both study and work placements, and the following information reflects both the overall number of HE placements in each country, with the number of study placements in brackets.
In 2021/22, 2,467 students undertook placements in the United States (of which 2,138 were study placements), 938 in Canada (841 study placements), and 342 in Australia (313 study placements). Fewer than five students went to New Zealand and so these numbers are suppressed.
In 2022/23, 1,900 students went to the United States (1,277 study placements), 948 to Canada (860 study placements), 1,012 to Australia (863 study placements), and 79 to New Zealand (27 study placements).
In 2023/24, 1,610 students went to the United States (1,127 study placements), 700 to Canada (590 study placements), 983 to Australia (775 study placements), and 142 to New Zealand (74 study placements).
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many UK-domiciled students received financial support from Government-backed mobility schemes to undertake a period of study at universities in New Zealand in 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department holds data on students at UK higher education (HE) providers who receive Turing Scheme funding for overseas placements. The department does not hold data on student domicile and figures therefore include international students. Students can undertake both study and work placements, and the following information reflects both the overall number of HE placements in each country, with the number of study placements in brackets.
In 2021/22, 2,467 students undertook placements in the United States (of which 2,138 were study placements), 938 in Canada (841 study placements), and 342 in Australia (313 study placements). Fewer than five students went to New Zealand and so these numbers are suppressed.
In 2022/23, 1,900 students went to the United States (1,277 study placements), 948 to Canada (860 study placements), 1,012 to Australia (863 study placements), and 79 to New Zealand (27 study placements).
In 2023/24, 1,610 students went to the United States (1,127 study placements), 700 to Canada (590 study placements), 983 to Australia (775 study placements), and 142 to New Zealand (74 study placements).
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many UK-domiciled students received financial support from Government-backed mobility schemes to undertake a period of study at universities in Canada in 2021–22, 2022–23 and 2023–24.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department holds data on students at UK higher education (HE) providers who receive Turing Scheme funding for overseas placements. The department does not hold data on student domicile and figures therefore include international students. Students can undertake both study and work placements, and the following information reflects both the overall number of HE placements in each country, with the number of study placements in brackets.
In 2021/22, 2,467 students undertook placements in the United States (of which 2,138 were study placements), 938 in Canada (841 study placements), and 342 in Australia (313 study placements). Fewer than five students went to New Zealand and so these numbers are suppressed.
In 2022/23, 1,900 students went to the United States (1,277 study placements), 948 to Canada (860 study placements), 1,012 to Australia (863 study placements), and 79 to New Zealand (27 study placements).
In 2023/24, 1,610 students went to the United States (1,127 study placements), 700 to Canada (590 study placements), 983 to Australia (775 study placements), and 142 to New Zealand (74 study placements).
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost of (a) employing a (i) teacher and (ii) a member of support staff and (b) energy and (c) other non-staff expenditure per pupil in the (A) 2023-24 and (B) 2024-25 and (C) 2025-26 and (D) 2026-27 financial year.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes the ‘Schools’ costs: technical note’ (SCTN), which includes data on school workforce costs and non-staff expenditure, including energy. This year’s SCTN publication and historical publications are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/schools-costs-technical-note.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the publication MHCLG: spending over £25,000, January 2026, published on 25 February 2026, if she will set out the purpose and specific activity relating to the transaction CFO & Corporate Coram(Thomas Coram Foundation), Ref: 5105609031, Research, for £37,075.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional funding has been allocated to local authorities to support pupils with special educational needs in the last three years.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.