Afzal Khan

This Government is working to support all people through COVID-19, including BAME women. Guided by medical and scientific expertise, we have implemented specific measures to reduce the spread of the virus in all communities for everyone including women from BAME backgrounds.

This Government has taken unprecedented steps to support lives and livelihoods, including increasing the generosity of Universal Credit, introducing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and made changes to ensure women do not miss out on parental leave and childcare support. We continue to engage with women’s charities both local and national, and have made available an additional £76 million announced in May, to support survivors of?domestic abuse, sexual violence, modern slavery, and vulnerable children and their families.

The Public Health England (PHE) report, “COVID-19: review of disparities in risks and outcomes”, published on 2 June 2020, looks at the COVID-19 mortality rates of different ethnic groups. I am now leading further work to build on this by analysing the key drivers of disparities in COVID-19 outcomes, the relationships between different risk factors, and what can be done to close the gap, for BAME men and women. This work is supported by the Race Disparity Unit in the Cabinet Office. The recommendations in the second PHE report “Beyond the data: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups” published on 16 June are also being taken forward as part of the terms of reference announced by myself on 4 June.

The Government received a draft of the research report on Friday 12th June 2020, and is currently reviewing the findings. We will publish the report in due course, once the draft has been considered and the report is completed.

The Government looks at a wide basket of indicators to measure social mobility. Our principle measure for understanding the outcomes of children based on their socio-economic backgrounds is the disadvantage attainment gap, which captures the difference in test and exam performance between children who are eligible for Free School Meals and those who are not.

On top of this, the Government collects and publishes a range of data that allows us to understand how social mobility and disadvantage relate to educational and other outcomes. These include attainment in the Early Years and at age 19, participation and progression of disadvantaged pupils entering further and higher education, labour market outcomes for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and different indicators of disadvantage such as Care status and Special Educational Needs status. Our ground-breaking Longitudinal Education Outcomes dataset has linked education records with tax data to identify the long term labour market outcomes of individual education programmes.

The Government recognises the great importance of the effective and timely handling of correspondence.

The Cabinet Office is currently compiling data on the timeliness of responses to Hon. and Rt Hon. members from Government Departments and Agencies. This data will be released, and made available to Members, in due course.

The Government recognises the great importance of the effective and timely handling of correspondence.

The Cabinet Office is currently compiling data on the timeliness of responses to Hon. and Rt Hon. members from Government Departments and Agencies. This data will be released, and made available to Members, in due course.

My Office has no record of receiving this letter. I have asked my Office to contact the Hon Member’s Office to re-send the correspondence and arrange for a reply to be sent.

The Government will be responding to the report in due course.

The Trade and Cooperation Agreement establishes a set of committees to oversee its operation.

We are committed to facilitating parliamentary scrutiny of our new relationship with the EU as we do with other international agreements.

The Government is committed to implementing an imprints regime for digital election material. This will ensure greater transparency and make it clearer to the electorate who has produced and promoted online political materials.

The Government is planning to bring forward the technical proposal on the regime and further details will be announced in due course.

The Government is committed to implementing an imprints regime for digital election material. This will ensure greater transparency and make it clearer to the electorate who has produced and promoted online political materials.

The Government is planning to bring forward the technical proposal on the regime and further details will be announced in due course.

Whilst there are no current plans for a database of online political adverts, we are taking action to increase transparency of wider political advertising online, such as by introducing a digital imprints regime.

Online platforms should take responsibility for content posted on them, and we welcome the steps that several social media companies have taken to improve transparency of political advertisements on their platforms, including through the introduction of ad libraries.

The government does not hold the information requested.

Members are appointed by the Houses of Parliament (having been nominated by the Prime Minister in consultation with the Leader of the Opposition). The Chair of the Committee is elected by its Members.

Nominations require careful consideration and consultation. The committee is being formed in the normal way and at a normal pace.

The Government has made a grant of £210 million to Rolls Royce SMR ltd to undertake phase two of the Low Cost Nuclear programme. This has been match funded by industry and investors, and will support the further development and assessment of the Rolls Royce SMR design up to 2025.

Whilst initial costing estimates have been made by Rolls Royce SMR Ltd, a key output of the programme is data that will enable more detailed whole life cost analysis, which could be used to inform any potential deployment decisions in the next parliament.

The Warm Home Discount is funded by energy suppliers, who generally recoup the costs from customers’ energy bills. However, the Government sets the spending target each year. The target is set to balance providing significant rebates to as many households as possible, while minimising the impact on consumers’ bills. For this year, 2021/22, the overall spending target is £354 million.

Given the fixed funding available for the scheme, increasing the rebate amount for households would reduce the number of households receiving support. Following a consultation last year, the Government decided to keep the rebate amount at £140 this winter to maximise the number of households that the scheme is able to reach. This year, we expect around 2.2 million households across the country will receive rebates.

The Government recently consulted on the future of the scheme beyond 2022. This consultation included a proposal to increase the rebate amount to £150 from the 2022/23 scheme year onwards, balancing increasing the value of the rebate against ensuring that as many fuel poor households as possible are able to access this much-needed support.

The Government has consulted on reforms to the Warm Home Discount that will provide significant improvements to the scheme’s operation and more support to fuel poor households. They will improve the fuel poverty targeting of the scheme and enable more fuel poor households to receive a rebate.

By increasing the funding to £475 million (in 2020 prices) per year, around 3 million households will receive rebates on their energy bills every winter – this is 780,000 more households than under the current scheme. Through data matching, the vast majority of eligible households would be entitled to receive the rebate automatically, rather than having to apply. Rebates would also be increased to £150 per household, compared to £140 currently, balancing increasing the value of the rebate against ensuring that as many fuel poor households as possible are able to access this much-needed support.

The Government’s response to the consultation will be published in the coming months, with any reforms coming into force from the 2022/23 scheme year.

We welcome the IEA’s Net Zero by 2050 report, which sets out a clear roadmap to net zero emissions and shares many of the priorities we have committed to in the UK’s Energy White Paper and my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, as well as in our role as COP Presidency.

In addition to our existing ambitious plans, we will publish a new comprehensive Net Zero Strategy in the lead up to COP26, setting out the Government’s vision for transitioning to a net zero economy by 2050, making the most of new growth and employment opportunities across the UK.

BEIS has a 15 working day target to provide a substantive response to hon. Members. The Cabinet Office will soon formally publish the correspondence performance data of Departments for the years: 2018, 2019 and 2020. In line with this publication, the Department has achieved the following annual results: 2018: 57% answered within 15 working days, 2019: 86% and 2020: 67%.

The Government has made substantial business support available throughout the Covid-19 pandemic including grants, loans, reliefs and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Although English Language Schools are not eligible for the government’s Restart Grant programme – which is aimed at the non-essential retail, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym sectors – they may be eligible for support via the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). ARG provides Local Authorities with funding to put in place discretionary support that suits their local area.

The Government has recently consulted on proposals to increase the eligibility criteria for Debt Relief Orders to help more people deal with their financial difficulties and to provide a fresh start. The consultation includes proposals to increase the total amount of debt allowable in a Debt Relief Order but does not include proposals for any increase in the monetary limit for motor vehicles or the exclusion of mobility scooters. Following the closure of the consultation on 26 February 2021, the Government is reviewing the responses.

No assessment has been made of potential merits of requiring the Insolvency Service to commit to review the Debt Relief Order monetary eligibility criteria every three years and there are no plans to do so. However, the Government keeps the legislative framework for insolvency under regular review.

The 2019 Conservative manifesto committed to a £3.8billion Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund over 10 years.

The Summer Economic Update announced a £50 million fund to demonstrate innovative approaches to retrofitting social housing at scale and upgrading the energy performance of poorer-performing homes. A further £60 million has been allocated at the Spending Review (SR) to continue the development of the scheme into next year, in line with manifesto commitments, and further funding will be confirmed at the multi-year SR.

Nuclear safety is a top priority for the Government and is kept under regular review. We have a world class regulatory system, and all operators are answerable to robust and independent regulators – the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and the relevant environmental regulators. If the ONR consider that any nuclear reactor is not safe it will not be allowed to be built. Proposed new nuclear projects must also represent clear value for money for both consumers and taxpayers.

Higher activity radioactive waste created by future nuclear projects will be disposed of in a geological disposal facility. Geological disposal is internationally recognised as the safest available option for disposing of higher activity waste. Operators of new nuclear power stations will have a statutory requirement to ensure adequate financing arrangements are in place to meet the full costs of decommissioning and their full share of waste management and disposal costs.

Any relevant information located by BEIS that may be in scope of the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry recently launched will be retained by the Department until, at least, the conclusion of the Inquiry.

The Local Energy Programme launched in 2017 is supporting Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the clean energy economy. BEIS has allocated £500k directly to Greater Manchester Combined Authority since 2017 to develop innovative business models?(for decarbonisation)?and public sector leadership (for climate change and zero carbon targets) in support of their 2038 target, which are then shared with other Local Authorities. We are currently working with Greater Manchester Combined Authority on innovative technologies and local energy market approaches to accelerate Manchester’s progress towards net-zero.

The regulatory price control for Distribution Network Operators is by law a matter for Ofgem, the independent energy regulator. BEIS is working with Ofgem to ensure that Net Zero innovation and new technologies can assist network operators to meet increased consumer demand for low carbon energy sources.

The Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund are part of Government’s unprecedented package of support for businesses to help with their ongoing business costs in recognition of the disruption caused by Covid-19.

Businesses that were in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief as of 11 March 2020 will be eligible for the Small Business Grants Fund. Under the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Grants Fund, businesses that would have been in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount Scheme with properties that have a rateable value of under £51,000 are eligible for cash grants of up to £25,000 per property. Businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or over are not eligible for this scheme.

Businesses which are not eligible for the grant schemes should be able to benefit from other measures, including:

• An option to defer VAT payments by up to twelve months;
• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, now extended to cover all businesses including those which would be able to access commercial credit;
• The Bounce Back Loan scheme, which will ensure that small and micro businesses can quickly access loans of up to £50,000 which are 100% guaranteed by the Government;
• The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, to support businesses with their wage bills;
• The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, to provide support to the self-employed.

Businesses can search for available support via the business support finder tool at: https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.

The Government recognises the significant impacts that the current COVID-19 outbreak is having on the whole of the hospitality sector and is therefore providing a range of support measures to help businesses across this sector. These measures include grants and business rates relief, VAT deferral, business interruption and bounce back loans, as well as job retention and self-employed income support. Full details of all the measures have been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

The Government recognises the significant impacts that the current COVID-19 outbreak is having on the whole of the hospitality sector and is therefore providing a range of support measures to help businesses across this sector. These measures include grants and business rates relief, VAT deferral, business interruption and bounce back loans, as well as job retention and self-employed income support. Full details of all the measures have been published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

Employees who end their statutory maternity or paternity entitlement and return to work during the COVID-19 outbreak have the same rights as before.

All employees on family-related leave (including Maternity Leave, Adoption Leave, Shared Parental Leave, Paternity Leave and Parental Bereavement Leave) have a right to return to the same job if they have been off work for 26 weeks or less and a right to return to the same, or a similar job, if they have been off work for more than 26 weeks. This has not changed.

For those on Maternity Leave, the normal redundancy protections apply. Maternity discrimination in the workplace is unlawful and there are clear regulations in place which every employer must follow.

The Government is committed to protecting jobs and has provided unprecedented support to employers to retain their employees and protect the UK economy through implementing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Employees returning from family-related leave can be furloughed if they and their employer agree to this.

In terms of what support employees can expect if they are returning to the workplace, the Government is working to ensure that all workers have the confidence they need to go back to work. New ‘COVID-19 secure’ guidelines are available to UK employers to help them ensure workplaces are as safe as possible. The guidelines have been developed with input from a range of stakeholders, including Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The UK’s Maternity Leave offer is amongst the most generous in the World –up to 52 weeks of leave are available, 39 weeks of which are paid –and we currently have no plans to extend it.

We understand the impacts that the pandemic and social distancing have on parents, especially where they are doing the difficult job of balancing work and childcare. This is a problem facing all parents and not just those with babies, we do not therefore, believe that extending maternity leave is the right way to address this.

We have however, introduced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to support those who cannot work due to the current pandemic. The scheme allows individuals who cannot work due to childcare responsibilities to be furloughed by their employer, if both the employer and employee agree.

BEIS has not, thus far, provided direct funding for training or qualifications in building retrofit. The Department has, however, funded the development of improved design and installation standards and has created a market for individuals and businesses who install to those standards through the Energy Company Obligation.

Government has a number of policies and proposals to improve the energy performance of buildings, for example:

• Our current Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme and its successor will drive £6bn of additional investment to support energy improvements in low-income, vulnerable and fuel poor households between 2018 and 2028.

• The Private Rented Sector Minimum standard regulations introduced on 1?April 2018 will improve the energy performance of rented properties. The regulations require landlords of domestic and non-domestic rental properties to bring their properties to EPC Band E or above. We recently consulted on raising the minimum energy standards for non-domestic privately rented properties to meet a preferred target of EPC B by 2030, and plan to publish the Government Response later this year. We will consult on tightening the minimum energy standards for domestic privately rented properties in due course.

• We have committed to further consultations on introducing mandatory in-use energy performance ratings for non-domestic buildings; and on requirements for mortgage lenders to help households improve the energy efficiency of the homes they lend to.

• Public sector organisations can access the funding for decarbonisation projects, including certain retrofits through the Public Sector Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme. The capital pot for England stands at £312m as of the end of 2019/20 and is planned to increase to a total of £385 million by 2020/21.

As the Solicitor General explained in Parliament on 28 April, the contact tracing app will be for voluntary participation only.

An ethical advisory board will be convened to monitor the use of the app.

No private identifying information will be kept on it and it will be data protection compliant.

In the UK we have shown it is possible to achieve economic growth while reducing emissions. Since 1990, we have cut our emissions by 43%, while growing our economy by more than three quarters - decarbonising faster than any other G20 country.

Between 2017 and 2018 alone, we reduced emissions in the power sector by 6.6%.

Figures for Greater Manchester can been derived from table 4 of the Fuel Poverty sub-national tables using the 10 Metropolitan districts – Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Thameside, Trafford and Wigan – as listed by the ONS (https://geoportal.statistics.gov.uk/datasets/local-authority-district-to-county-april-2019-lookup-in-england).

Individual constituency data can be found in table 5 of the Fuel Poverty sub-national tables at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2019.

The Secretary of State and DCMS are committed to supporting the cultural sector through this challenging time and we recognise how severely theatres, theatre companies and live music venues have been hit by COVID-19. The Government is supporting these sectors through unprecedented financial measures, including business rate reliefs, the Job Retention Scheme, Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the world-leading £1.57 billion support package for culture. DCMS has also worked closely with its arm’s-length bodies to deliver tailored support packages at speed, including the £160m Emergency Funding Package announced by Arts Council England, made possible by Government funding.

In 2018-19, £78 million of theatre tax relief was paid out relating to 3,380 productions, of which 950 were touring and 2,430 were non-touring. Since Theatre tax relief was introduced in September 2014, £208 million has been paid out relating to 8,395 productions. HM Treasury keeps all tax reliefs under review and DCMS continues to engage with these sectors extensively to best understand the challenges they face and consider the additional measures that may be needed to support the long-term recovery of these sectors.

The Secretary of State and DCMS are committed to supporting the cultural sector through this challenging time and we recognise how severely theatres, theatre companies and live music venues have been hit by COVID-19. The Government is supporting these sectors through unprecedented financial measures, including business rate reliefs, the Job Retention Scheme, Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the world-leading £1.57 billion support package for culture. DCMS has also worked closely with its arm’s-length bodies to deliver tailored support packages at speed, including the £160m Emergency Funding Package announced by Arts Council England, made possible by Government funding.

In 2018-19, £78 million of theatre tax relief was paid out relating to 3,380 productions, of which 950 were touring and 2,430 were non-touring. Since Theatre tax relief was introduced in September 2014, £208 million has been paid out relating to 8,395 productions. HM Treasury keeps all tax reliefs under review and DCMS continues to engage with these sectors extensively to best understand the challenges they face and consider the additional measures that may be needed to support the long-term recovery of these sectors.

On 11 May, Government published updated guidance on lockdown measures, including updates on how people can remain active. From Wednesday 13 May, people are allowed to go outside more than once a day for exercise as long as they are following social distancing guidelines, alone, with members of their household, or with one person from outside of their household. People must still only exercise in groups of no more than two people, unless they are exercising with their household.

All outdoor sports and physical activities are now permitted, without time limit, including angling. Swimming in an open-air swimming pool is an exception, however, this does not apply to individuals’ private swimming pools within their own homes.

We are proactively engaging across the sector, to maintain a complete picture of the impact of coronavirus, and working to identify the additional support charities require through this time of financial instability. The £750 million package of grants announced by the Chancellor on 8 April is a substantial package of targeted support for charities and their staff working on the frontline of responding to Coronavirus. Charity workers can also make use of other measures announced by the Chancellor including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

The Government funding will be allocated based on evidence of service need. No allocations of government funds have been made yet but departments are working at pace to identify priority recipients. Once funding has been allocated, eligible Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise organisations will be able to start accessing funds within weeks.

More information will be announced shortly

NCS Trust’s contracts with their local partners include a requirement that young people participating in NCS match, as closely as possible, to the local demographics. For example in areas where there are mixed ethnic groups our partners are required to reflect this in the makeup of NCS participants. This is tracked by the NCS Trust as part of their overall contract management of partners.

In addition marketing campaigns and materials have been developed to appeal to a wide and diverse mix of young people with many featuring local participants.

My department is committed to ensuring this investment reaches young people who need it most, including those who currently have difficulty in accessing youth services. We are still developing plans for the delivery of the Youth Investment Fund and will announce more information in due course.

We are still developing plans for the delivery of the Youth Investment Fund - including the building of new youth centres - and will announce more information in due course.

Please see a breakdown of participation in National Citizen Service Trust for the period 2015-2017, classified by ethnic group:

NCS attracts young people from a diverse range of backgrounds and participation by those who classify themselves as BAME has been consistent since 2015.

In 2017, more than a quarter (30.5%) of NCS participants classified themselves as BAME. This compares to 26% of the state secondary school population.

The NCS annual report for financial year 2018/19 has not yet been published and therefore the data for 2018 and 2019 has not been shared here.

NCS used a different data management system prior to 2015. As a result, the data is not consistent over the ten year period. I will write with further clarification once I have received further information from NCS.

I can confirm that a response has been sent, ref AK42579, to the hon. Member for Manchester Gorton.

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, and I have regular discussions with the higher education (HE) sector on a range of issues. I also continue to engage closely with HE representative bodies and mission groups through the HE Taskforce to identify emerging issues as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and to work with the sector to address these.

HE providers are autonomous institutions responsible for their own teaching and assessment but should be delivering teaching in line with the latest HE guidance and public health advice.

The government’s clear and stated expectation is that universities should maintain the quality and quantity of tuition and seek to ensure that all students regardless of their background have the resources to study remotely. The Office for Students (OfS), as regulator for English HE providers, has made it clear that HE providers must continue to comply with registration conditions relating to quality and academic standards, which set out requirements to ensure that courses are high-quality, that students are supported and achieve good outcomes and that standards are protected. The OfS has published guidance which sets out expectations for providers in maintaining quality and standards and how it will assess compliance with these conditions in the light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

In June 2020, the Secretary of State commissioned Sir Michael Barber to conduct a review into the shift toward digital teaching and learning in HE since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. The report, published on 25 February 2021, builds on lessons learned through the outbreak and sets out recommendations to help providers to seize opportunities for the medium to long term future and includes ‘six actions’ HE providers can take for next academic year. We welcome the publication of the report which will be important in supporting HE providers to prepare for the next academic year and to realise the opportunities presented by digital teaching and learning in the medium to long term.

The full report can be found here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/publications/gravity-assist-propelling-higher-education-towards-a-brighter-future/.

We recognise that extended school and college restrictions have had a substantial impact on children and young people’s education and are committed to helping pupils make up lost education as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, committed to working with parents, teachers, and education providers to develop a long-term plan to help schools support pupils make up their education over the course of this Parliament.

In February 2021, the Department also appointed Sir Kevan Collins, as Education Recovery Commissioner, to advise on the approach for education recovery and the development of a long-term plan to help pupils make up their education over the course of this Parliament. The Education Recovery Commissioner has been clear that sport and broader enrichment activities are a key part of recovery, and will engage with parents, pupils, and teachers in the development of this broader approach which will examine a range of options to help schools to use evidence-based interventions to support their pupils to make up lost education.

£200 million will be made available to secondary schools to run summer schools with an initial focus on incoming Year 7 pupils. The summer schools will offer a mix of academic and enrichment activity. Guidance will be provided to schools, including a reminder that they can work with their usual wraparound or holiday provider to ensure they can collaboratively create a broad and interesting programme for the pupils involved.

The Department recognises the significant benefits that education outside the classroom can have on children’s development as well as their mental health and wellbeing and is taking steps to unlock outdoor education and educational visits in line with the COVID-19 road map.

I can confirm that a response has been sent to the letter dated 14 January from the hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton.

The data referred to in Questions 147045 and 147046 was from January 2018 to the present day.

Governance records are stored on ‘Get Information About Schools’ (GIAS). This is a self-service website that schools are able to complete and update. As school governance roles are filled by volunteers, it is not mandatory for them to register their details on GIAS, and the Department holds 183,784 active governance records. The National Governance Association (NGA) estimate the number of school governors and trustees in England to be 250,000.

There were 276 active governance records for schools in the Manchester Gorton constituency on GIAS as of February 1 2021.

There were 25,994 active governance records for schools in the North West region on GIAS as of February 2021.

There were 183,784 active governance records for schools in England on GIAS as of February 2021.

The Department does not hold data on the ethnicity of school governors in England, but findings from the latest NGA annual school governance survey indicated that 4% of governors and trustees within their membership are from an ethnic minority background. In addition, 18% of volunteers who signed up with the Department-funded Inspiring Governance governor recruitment programme, and 20% of those matched to school governor roles by the programme, were from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background.

Governance records are stored on ‘Get Information About Schools’ (GIAS). This is a self-service website that schools are able to complete and update. As school governance roles are filled by volunteers, it is not mandatory for them to register their details on GIAS, and the Department holds 183,784 active governance records. The National Governance Association (NGA) estimate the number of school governors and trustees in England to be 250,000.

There were 276 active governance records for schools in the Manchester Gorton constituency on GIAS as of February 1 2021.

There were 25,994 active governance records for schools in the North West region on GIAS as of February 2021.

There were 183,784 active governance records for schools in England on GIAS as of February 2021.

The Department does not hold data on the ethnicity of school governors in England, but findings from the latest NGA annual school governance survey indicated that 4% of governors and trustees within their membership are from an ethnic minority background. In addition, 18% of volunteers who signed up with the Department-funded Inspiring Governance governor recruitment programme, and 20% of those matched to school governor roles by the programme, were from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background.

Exam boards are responsible for setting exam fees. The Department encourages exam boards to set their fees appropriately based on the costs involved with alternative arrangements in 2021 and we are working at pace with Ofqual to provide clarity to exam boards, and the wider sector, on how alternative arrangements to exams in 2021 will work.

Compensation for examiners, markers and moderators is a matter for individual exam boards. Examination boards are independent organisations and are responsible for working through the arrangements for financial support, including how these might apply to markers, examiners, and moderators in a range of different circumstances.

Regarding rebates following the cancellation of exams, it is for the individual awarding organisations to decide on rebate arrangements, reflecting their particular circumstances. Awarding organisations have provided information to schools and colleges on any rebates they can expect in relation to summer 2020 examinations and we would encourage schools to get in contact with awarding organisations if necessary.

Exam boards are responsible for setting exam fees. The Department encourages exam boards to set their fees appropriately based on the costs involved with alternative arrangements in 2021 and we are working at pace with Ofqual to provide clarity to exam boards, and the wider sector, on how alternative arrangements to exams in 2021 will work.

Compensation for examiners, markers and moderators is a matter for individual exam boards. Examination boards are independent organisations and are responsible for working through the arrangements for financial support, including how these might apply to markers, examiners, and moderators in a range of different circumstances.

Regarding rebates following the cancellation of exams, it is for the individual awarding organisations to decide on rebate arrangements, reflecting their particular circumstances. Awarding organisations have provided information to schools and colleges on any rebates they can expect in relation to summer 2020 examinations and we would encourage schools to get in contact with awarding organisations if necessary.

Exam boards are responsible for setting exam fees. The Department encourages exam boards to set their fees appropriately based on the costs involved with alternative arrangements in 2021 and we are working at pace with Ofqual to provide clarity to exam boards, and the wider sector, on how alternative arrangements to exams in 2021 will work.

Compensation for examiners, markers and moderators is a matter for individual exam boards. Examination boards are independent organisations and are responsible for working through the arrangements for financial support, including how these might apply to markers, examiners, and moderators in a range of different circumstances.

Regarding rebates following the cancellation of exams, it is for the individual awarding organisations to decide on rebate arrangements, reflecting their particular circumstances. Awarding organisations have provided information to schools and colleges on any rebates they can expect in relation to summer 2020 examinations and we would encourage schools to get in contact with awarding organisations if necessary.

Legislation is clear about the statutory duties placed on local authorities in caring for unaccompanied children and no dispensation has been given to Kent County Council regarding these duties.

Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 imposes a duty on local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in need in their area and to accommodate them if they meet the relevant criteria for requiring accommodation under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989.

The government recognises the challenges local authorities face in caring for high numbers of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. That is why we have been working with Kent County Council, to support them to meet their duties to looked after children in their care. The government has also worked with local authorities across the country to secure alternative placements for those arriving on the south coast.

We want parents to have access to a range of affordable childcare, giving them increased flexibility in their working hours and helping children thrive in the crucial early years. This is why the department is planning to spend more than £3.6 billion to support our early education entitlements in 2020-21.

We want to provide security to nurseries and childminders who are open for the children who need them. That is why on 20 July we announced our commitment to continue paying local authorities for the childcare places they usually fund, for the autumn term. This means that even if providers are open but caring for fewer children, as a result of low demand from parents or due to public health reasons, they can continue to be funded for the autumn term at broadly the levels they would have expected to see in the 2020 autumn term had there been no coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This gives another term of secure income to nurseries and childminders who are open for the children who need them.

Whilst we do not provide guidance on how providers operate their private businesses, including charges for provision over and above a child’s free hours, we urge all childcare providers to be reasonable and balanced in their dealings with parents, given the great uncertainty they will be facing too.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has established a COVID-19 Taskforce to identify, monitor and respond to competition and consumer problems arising from COVID-19 and the measures taken to contain it. People and businesses who have seen or experienced businesses behaving unfairly during the COVID-19 outbreak can report it to the CMA by using their dedicated online form. Where there is evidence that businesses have breached competition or consumer protection law, the CMA will take enforcement action if warranted. As a result of alleged unfair practices caused by COVID-19 disruptions, the CMA has published an open letter to the early years sector (nurseries and childcare providers). This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-open-letter-to-the-early-years-sector.

If asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace and on a low income, parents who are unable to work from home and will lose income as a result may be entitled to a payment of £500 from their local authority under the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme. For more information, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme-claiming-financial-support/claiming-financial-support-under-the-test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme.

In July, Ofqual consulted on arrangements for GCSEs, AS levels and A levels in 2021, and its decisions on the changes proposed were published on 3 August. Changes to the content of assessments for certain subjects will reduce pressure on teachers and students.

The wellbeing of students is our key concern. Schools and colleges are making extraordinary efforts to ensure pupils get the best possible education this year and catch up on any learning lost. On 12 October, the Department confirmed that exams will go ahead next year and most AS level, A level and GCSE exams will be delayed by three weeks to give pupils more time to catch up on their education. The delay to exams allows extra time for teaching and preparation.

The Government announced a catch-up package worth £1 billion, including a ‘Catch Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million. Our expectation is that this funding will be spent on the additional activities required to support children and young people to catch up after a period of disruption to their education. We also announced a new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils. This will increase access to high-quality tuition for disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people, helping to accelerate their academic progress and tackling the attainment gap between them and their peers. As part of this, we announced a 16-19 Tuition Fund, allocating up to £96 million as a one-off, one year, ring-fenced grant to school sixth forms and 16-19 colleges. This will provide small group tutoring activity for disadvantaged 16-19 students whose studies have been disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Getting all children back to school for the start of the academic year has rightly been a national priority. Latest figures show that over 99% of state-funded schools in both the North West and South East are open, and regional teams are working closely with local areas to address any barriers to attendance. The Government is grateful for all the hard work of teachers and staff in supporting pupils during this time.

On 1 October, the Department announced a package of remote education support designed to help schools and colleges, build on and deliver their existing plans, in the event that individuals or groups of pupils are unable to attend school due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Schools will be able to access a new central support hub, where resources and information on remote education will be housed. This support has been co-designed with schools and includes a range of school-led webinars and resources intended to share good practice.

The Department is also investing £1.5 million of additional funding to expand the EdTech Demonstrator programme. This is a peer support network offering advice, guidance and training to schools and colleges in effective use of technology, including how it can support remote education.

The Department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy, both for the summer term of the academic year 2019-20 and for the 2020-21 academic year, to provide free video lessons for reception up to year 11. It provides lessons across a broad range of subjects and includes specialist content for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The support package can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

Routine Ofsted inspections will remain suspended for the autumn term, though Ofsted inspectors are conducting visits in the autumn term. The intention is for Ofsted to resume routine school inspections from January 2021, which will include inspectors assessing the quality of education within schools, with this date being kept under review.

Protecting the mental health of students continues to be a priority for this government and I have convened representatives from the higher education and health sectors to specifically address the current and pressing issues that students are facing during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Department of Health and Social Care has overall policy responsibility for young people’s mental health. We continue to work closely with them to take steps to develop mental health and wellbeing support.

The government is committed, through the NHS Long Term Plan, to investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year into mental health services by 2023-24. This will see an additional 345,000 children and young people, and adults, able to access support through NHS-funded services.

We have invested £8 million in the Wellbeing for Education Return programme, providing schools and colleges with the knowledge and practical skills to help improve how to respond to the emotional impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. Further information is available here:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/wellbeing-for-education-return-grant-s31-grant-determination-letter.

In further education, £5.4 million of competitive grant funding has been provided through the College Collaboration Fund, with five of the projects funded to support student and staff mental health and wellbeing through online programmes and remote support.

It is for higher education providers as autonomous bodies to identify and address the needs of their student body, and many providers have boosted their existing welfare and counselling services to ensure students are able to access the support they need. Student Space, funded with up to £3 million from the Office for Students, provides dedicated support services (by phone and by text) for students and a collaborative online platform to help students access vital mental health and wellbeing resources. The platform bridges gaps in support for students arising from the COVID-19 outbreak and is designed to work alongside existing services.

We have asked that providers prioritise the mental health and wellbeing of students, enabling them to use funding, worth up to £23 million per month from April to July this year, and £256 million for the 2020-21 academic year starting from August, to go towards student hardship funds and mental health support.

Over £9 million has been provided by the government to leading mental health charities to help them expand and reach those most in need. Students struggling with their mental health can also access support via online resources from the NHS and Public Health England, and the mental health charity Mind.

?The government’s Spending Round in August 2019 identified the need to increase funding for 16 to 19 year olds’ education to ensure that they fulfil their potential and develop the skills the country needs. That is why we invested an extra £400 million in 16 to 19 education in the financial year 2020-21. We have increased the base rate of funding by 4.7%, from £4,000 to £4,188 for the academic year 2020-21. Over and above the base rate rise, this extra spending also includes new resources for high value and high cost courses, and funding to support those on level 3 programmes to continue to study English and maths where needed. This is the biggest injection of new money into 16 to 19 education in a single year since 2010 - with funding increasing faster for 16 to 19 than in 5 to 16 schooling.

The government’s commitment to 16 to 19 funding has contributed to the current record high proportion of 16 and 17 year olds who are participating in education or apprenticeships since consistent records began.?

We are continuing to look at the needs of 16 to 19 education as part of the current spending review.

Since the academic year 2013-14, school sixth forms, colleges, and other 16-19 education providers have been funded for 600 planned hours per year per full-time student. In addition to time spent pursuing qualifications, these provide time for non-qualification activity which will be helpful for young people such as: work experience and work related activity such as preparing CVs and practicing interview skills and techniques; informal certificates such as citizenship awards or Duke of Edinburgh’s Award; university visits arranged by the institution; volunteering activities and community activities; and any activities that offer enrichment to the student such as personal and social development.

We have no plans to offer additional funding specifically for extra-curricular activities. However, in 2019 the government announced increased 16-19 funding of £400 million for the financial year 2020-21 – the biggest injection of new money into 16-19 education in a single year since 2010 - with funding increasing faster for 16-19 than in 5-16 schooling. The 16-19 base rate has increased by 4.7% for the academic year 2020-21 to £4,188.

Full details of fundable activity can be found in the study programme guidance, available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-funding-planned-hours-in-study-programmes.

We are continuing to look at the needs of 16-19 education as part of the current spending review.

Where schools and colleges had accepted entries from external candidates (students who they have not taught themselves because they have been home educated or studying independently), those students should have been included in the process of producing centre assessment grades (CAGs), where the head teacher or principal was confident that they and their staff had seen sufficient evidence of the student’s achievement to make an objective judgement.

Ofqual and the exam boards explored the options for those students who did not have an existing relationship with an exam centre and who needed results this summer for progression purposes. The Joint Council for Qualifications published guidance for exam centres on accepting private candidates which set out the options that would be available. Ofqual asked organisations that represent higher and further education earlier in the year to consider the steps that they could take when making admissions decisions this summer for any external candidates who do not receive a grade. Ofqual informed the Department that they believed that institutions would consider a range of other evidence and information for these students to allow them to progress wherever possible. The Government asked universities to be as flexible as possible, and we will continue to make every effort to minimise the impact of the pandemic on young people’s education and progression.

Students who were unable to receive a grade will need to sit exams, either in the autumn exam series or in summer 2021. Exams will be available in all GCSE, AS and A level subjects in the autumn. We have made clear that we expect schools and colleges that had accepted entries from private candidates in the summer to enter them into exams in the autumn where the students wish to sit an exam, and we have put in place arrangements to ensure that there are no financial barriers to them doing that.

Where schools and colleges had accepted entries from external candidates (students who they have not taught themselves because they have been home educated or studying independently), those students should have been included in the process of producing centre assessment grades (CAGs), where the head teacher or principal was confident that they and their staff had seen sufficient evidence of the student’s achievement to make an objective judgement.

Ofqual and the exam boards explored the options for those students who did not have an existing relationship with an exam centre and who needed results this summer for progression purposes. The Joint Council for Qualifications published guidance for exam centres on accepting private candidates which set out the options that would be available. Ofqual asked organisations that represent higher and further education earlier in the year to consider the steps that they could take when making admissions decisions this summer for any external candidates who do not receive a grade. Ofqual informed the Department that they believed that institutions would consider a range of other evidence and information for these students to allow them to progress wherever possible. The Government asked universities to be as flexible as possible, and we will continue to make every effort to minimise the impact of the pandemic on young people’s education and progression.

Students who were unable to receive a grade will need to sit exams, either in the autumn exam series or in summer 2021. Exams will be available in all GCSE, AS and A level subjects in the autumn. We have made clear that we expect schools and colleges that had accepted entries from private candidates in the summer to enter them into exams in the autumn where the students wish to sit an exam, and we have put in place arrangements to ensure that there are no financial barriers to them doing that.

The Government has committed over £100 million to support remote education in England. The Department has published a comprehensive range of guidance to support schools during this time. This includes a list of quality resources, and case studies of remote education practice.

The Oak National Academy was launched on Monday 20 April. It is a new enterprise that has been created by 100 teachers from schools across England. It is providing at least 180 video lessons for free each week, across a broad range of subjects, for every year group from Reception through to Year 10. The BBC has developed a comprehensive new education package, including wellbeing content, available on TV, via the red button and iPlayer and online at BBC Bitesize.

Schools can also apply for Government-funded support to access one of two free-to-use digital education platforms to enable online teaching such as, G Suite for Education or Office 365 Education.

To ensure all children benefit from these resources, we are providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers to vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people that do not already have a digital device or internet access. As of the end of June, over 202,000 laptops and tablets and over 47,000 4G wireless routers have been delivered to local authorities and academy trusts for distribution to the children and young people that need them.

The Department has launched a service to provide children and young people free access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots. 10,000 families will initially be able to access the scheme. This offer is currently being piloted and will be rolled out across England in the coming months. We are currently working with BT to expand this offer to allow more children to access the internet through their network of BT Wi-Fi hotspots.

The Department has launched a service to provide children and young people free access to BT Wi-Fi hotspots. 10,000 families will initially be able to access the scheme. This offer is currently being piloted and will be rolled out across England in the coming months. We are currently working with BT to expand this offer to allow more children to access the internet through their network of BT Wi-Fi hotspots.

The most recent figures for number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals is based on the school census for January 2020. The number of children eligible for and claiming free school meals in January 2020, by major ethnic group and for the requested geographies, are provided in the table below.

Number of pupils eligible for free school meals by major ethnic group, 2020

Figures rounded to the nearest 10, source Spring 2020 School Census

Further information can be found in the annual 'School, pupils and their characteristics' statistical release:
https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.

The most relevant measure that we have for children is based on Key Stage 2 reading results. These are broken down by ethnicity and are available here:

https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training/7-to-11-years-old/reading-attainments-for-children-aged-7-to-11-key-stage-2/latest.

For adults, there is a breakdown of literacy skills by ethnicity in Table 2.25 of our England national report of the Survey of Adult Skills 2012 Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) – full report available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-survey-of-adult-skills-2012.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

The government is extremely grateful to all students who chose to opt in to a paid clinical placement in the NHS during this extremely difficult time. We have ensured that all students who do so are rewarded fairly for their hard work. Nursing, midwifery and allied health students who volunteered as part of the COVID-19 response have been receiving a salary and automatic NHS pension entitlement at the appropriate band. Time spent on paid placements as part of the COVID-19 response counts towards the requirement for students to complete a specified number of training hours in order to successfully complete their degrees.

Nursing students will continue to be required to pay tuition fees, and there are no plans for a specific debt write-off scheme for these students. Student loan borrowers are only required to make repayments from the April after they have finished their course and until they are earning over the relevant repayment threshold. The amount that borrowers are required to repay each week or month is linked to their income, not the interest rate or the amount borrowed. Repayments are calculated as a fixed percentage of earnings above the repayment threshold and any outstanding debt is written off at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower.

These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

These are matters for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

There are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools. Many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, the detail is held and decisions made about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

Matters of oversight, remit and any complaints will all be dealt with locally. Accordingly, the Department does not gather nor hold information on the number of partnerships, the number of officers based in any school or the number of officers supporting personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.

It is right for schools to have the flexibility to work with external organisations to support the delivery of their PSHE programme to enhance teaching. As with any visitor, where a school invites external agencies, including police forces, into school they are responsible for ensuring they check the visitor’s and organisation’s credentials as well as the details of their session to ensure it fits with their planned programme. Schools should also adhere to the Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance and agree in advance of the session how safeguarding reports should be dealt with.

The Department has not conducted an assessment on the effect of school-based police officers on Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils or the educational attainment gap where such officers are deployed. We trust schools to do what is best for their pupils and believe they are best placed to decide how to utilise school-based police.

In October 2018, the Department set out its commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce across all protected characteristics when it launched the Statement of Intent.

This commitment to increasing teacher diversity was made alongside 10 co-signatories from the sector (including unions and grassroots organisations) who set out their own individual activities.

The Department has been making progress against its commitments, including:

• Providing £2 million of funding in nationwide Equality and Diversity regional ‘hubs’ to support aspiring leaders into headship. The hubs focus on providing coaching and mentoring to increase representation across all protected characteristics in senior leadership roles. Between 2014 and 2018 over 2,900 teachers have been helped to take the next steps on their leadership journey through school led diversity leadership training through the Equality and Diversity Fund.

• Reflecting the importance of diversity in the Department’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy published in January 2019 to ensure people from all backgrounds are supported and that barriers to their progression are removed.

• Encouraging representative recruitment for National Professional Qualifications for school leadership through key performance indicators.

• Continuing to engage with signatories of the statement. In July 2019, we held a roundtable to gather progress updates and showcase best practice.

The attached table shows the number of Ethnic Minority headteachers, deputy headteachers, and all leadership teachers in state-funded secondary schools and all state-funded schools in England, Greater Manchester, and Manchester Gorton in November 2019 - the latest data available. Further information is published in the annual “School workforce in England” statistical release here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.

In October 2018, the Department set out its commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce across all protected characteristics - including race - when it launched the Statement of Intent. This commitment to increasing teacher diversity was made alongside ten co-signatories from the sector (including unions and grassroots organisations, such as BAMEed, WomenEd, LGBTed and Disability Ed) who set out their own individual activities.

The Department has been making progress against its commitments including:

• Providing £2 million of funding in nationwide Equality and Diversity regional ‘hubs’ to support aspiring leaders, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, into headship;

• Reflecting the importance of diversity in the Department’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy published in January 2019;
• Continuing to engage with our signatories. In July 2019, we held a roundtable to gather progress updates and showcase best practice;
• Encouraging representative recruitment for National Professional Qualifications for school leadership through key performance indicators.

In October 2018, the Department set out its commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce across all protected characteristics - including race - when it launched the Statement of Intent. This commitment to increasing teacher diversity was made alongside ten co-signatories from the sector (including unions and grassroots organisations, such as BAMEed, WomenEd, LGBTed and Disability Ed) who set out their own individual activities.

The Department has been making progress against its commitments including:

• Providing £2 million of funding in nationwide Equality and Diversity regional ‘hubs’ to support aspiring leaders, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, into headship;

• Reflecting the importance of diversity in the Department’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy published in January 2019;
• Continuing to engage with our signatories. In July 2019, we held a roundtable to gather progress updates and showcase best practice;
• Encouraging representative recruitment for National Professional Qualifications for school leadership through key performance indicators.

In October 2018, the Department set out its commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce across all protected characteristics - including race - when it launched the Statement of Intent. This commitment to increasing teacher diversity was made alongside ten co-signatories from the sector (including unions and grassroots organisations, such as BAMEed, WomenEd, LGBTed and Disability Ed) who set out their own individual activities.

The Department has been making progress against its commitments including:

• Providing £2 million of funding in nationwide Equality and Diversity regional ‘hubs’ to support aspiring leaders, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, into headship;

• Reflecting the importance of diversity in the Department’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy published in January 2019;
• Continuing to engage with our signatories. In July 2019, we held a roundtable to gather progress updates and showcase best practice;
• Encouraging representative recruitment for National Professional Qualifications for school leadership through key performance indicators.

The new Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework sets out a core minimum entitlement for all trainees of what should be covered during their teacher training. The Government does not prescribe the curriculum of ITT courses, it remains for individual providers to design courses that are appropriate to the needs of trainees and for the subject, phase and age range that the trainees will be teaching.

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) will continue to be awarded at the end of ITT against the Teachers’ Standards (2011). The Standards set out the key elements of effective teaching and the minimum expectations for the professional practice and conduct of teachers. In order to be awarded QTS, trainees must demonstrate that they satisfy all of the Teaching Standards at the appropriate level, including the requirement that they have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils and set goals that stretch and challenge young people of all backgrounds and abilities.

High-quality professional development is important for teachers at all stages of their careers to ensure they receive appropriate support and to enable them constantly to improve their practice. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rests with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. While teachers and headteachers are responsible for their own professional development, we recognise that it is of vital importance teachers are sensitive to issues of race and discrimination at all times. Teachers are required to always meet the Teachers’ Standards and their training and development should support them to do this. Part two of the Standards refer to ‘Personal and Professional Conduct’ and includes the requirement to always show tolerance of and respect for the rights of others.

The new Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework sets out a core minimum entitlement for all trainees of what should be covered during their teacher training. The Government does not prescribe the curriculum of ITT courses, it remains for individual providers to design courses that are appropriate to the needs of trainees and for the subject, phase and age range that the trainees will be teaching.

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) will continue to be awarded at the end of ITT against the Teachers’ Standards (2011). The Standards set out the key elements of effective teaching and the minimum expectations for the professional practice and conduct of teachers. In order to be awarded QTS, trainees must demonstrate that they satisfy all of the Teaching Standards at the appropriate level, including the requirement that they have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils and set goals that stretch and challenge young people of all backgrounds and abilities.

High-quality professional development is important for teachers at all stages of their careers to ensure they receive appropriate support and to enable them constantly to improve their practice. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rests with schools, headteachers, and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. While teachers and headteachers are responsible for their own professional development, we recognise that it is of vital importance teachers are sensitive to issues of race and discrimination at all times. Teachers are required to always meet the Teachers’ Standards and their training and development should support them to do this. Part two of the Standards refer to ‘Personal and Professional Conduct’ and includes the requirement to always show tolerance of and respect for the rights of others.

All schools in England must have and publish a complaints policy. The Department expects them to be given the first opportunity to respond to complaints, including those involving racism. If complainants are still unhappy once the local procedure is complete, they may either choose to complain direct to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, or they can ask the Secretary of State to consider the school’s handling of the complaint, under his powers of intervention. These are set out under Sections 496/497 of the Education Act 1996, if the school is maintained by the local authority or, under the terms of its Funding Agreement, if the school is an Academy or Free School.

The Department considers complaints about schools on an individual basis, depending on the nature of the complaint.

The government is clear that all bullying is unacceptable and should be tackled by schools. The department issues guidance to schools on how to prevent and respond to bullying as part of their statutory behaviour policy.

It sets out that bullying is behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group either physically or emotionally. The guidance is clear that some types of harassing or threatening behaviour – or communications – could be a criminal offence. It sets out that if school staff feel that, during an incident, an offence may have been committed they should seek assistance from the police.

The guidance also directs schools to organisations who can provide support with tackling bullying related to race, religion and nationality. The guidance is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preventing-and-tackling-bullying.

On 7 June, we announced more than £750,000 for the Diana Award, the Anti-Bullying Alliance and the Anne Frank Trust. This is to help hundreds of schools and colleges build relationships between pupils, boost their resilience, and continue to tackle bullying both in person and online. More information is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-mental-health-support-for-pupils-and-teachers.

The department has also made resources available through the Educate Against Hate website. This website provides teachers, school leaders and parents with the information, guidance and support they need to challenge radical views, including racist and discriminatory beliefs. The website is available here:
https://educateagainsthate.com/.

In November 2018 we published Respectful School Communities, a self-review and signposting tool to support schools to develop a whole-school approach which promotes respect and discipline. This can combat bullying, harassment and prejudice of any kind and is available here:
https://educateagainsthate.com/school-leaders/?filter=guidance-and-training-school-leaders.

From September 2020, relationships education will be compulsory for all primary aged pupils, relationships and sex education will be compulsory for all secondary aged pupils and health education will be compulsory in all state-funded schools in England. Under the content for respectful relationships, the guidance sets out that pupils should know about the different types of bullying, the impact it has, the responsibility of bystanders and how to get help, and it is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education/.

The Department believes that racism in all its forms is abhorrent and has no place in our society. Schools play a significant role in supporting pupils to understand the society in which they grow up and preparing them for life in modern Britain.

All children and young people must be treated fairly. Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act, including race. The Public Sector Equality Duty also requires public bodies, including maintained schools and academies, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Act; advance equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and foster good relations across all characteristics.

On Black, Asian and minority ethnic children’s attainment, in 2015 the Department published the following research report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/439861/RR439A-Ethnic_minorities_and_attainment_the_effects_of_poverty.pdf.

Our research report on understanding Key Stage 4 attainment and progress (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/748514/Understanding_KS4_LSYPE2_research-report.pdf), published in October 2018, also includes content on the relationship between ethnicity and attainment, noting that this is complex and highly varied. There is also further information on education, skills and training on the Government’s ethnicity facts and figures website: https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/education-skills-and-training.

Racism in all its forms is abhorrent and has no place in our society. Schools play a significant role in teaching children about the importance of having respect and tolerance for all cultures. The Department is committed to an inclusive education system which recognises and embraces diversity and supports all students to tackle racism and have the knowledge and tools to do so.

The national curriculum is a framework setting out the content of what the Department expects schools to cover in each subject. The curriculum does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The Department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their students, and to make choices about what they teach and the resources they use, this also includes textbooks. The development and content of textbooks is a matter for individual publishers rather than the Department. The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of the National Curriculum on any specific group.

As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, students should be taught about different societies, and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain, and this can include the voices and experiences of Black and minority ethnic people. The flexibility within the history curriculum means that there is the opportunity for teachers to teach about Black and minority ethnic history across the spectrum of themes and eras set out in the curriculum.

There is scope to include Black and minority ethnic history and experience in other curriculums, such as in:

• Citizenship: At Key Stage 4, students should be taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding.

• PSHE: Schools have flexibility to teach topics such as Black history as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) programme and through the introduction of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education students will be taught the importance of respectful relationships in particular how stereotypes, based on sex, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability, can cause damage.

Racism in all its forms is abhorrent and has no place in our society. Schools play a significant role in teaching children about the importance of having respect and tolerance for all cultures. The Department is committed to an inclusive education system which recognises and embraces diversity and supports all students to tackle racism and have the knowledge and tools to do so.

The national curriculum is a framework setting out the content of what the Department expects schools to cover in each subject. The curriculum does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The Department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their students, and to make choices about what they teach and the resources they use, this also includes textbooks. The development and content of textbooks is a matter for individual publishers rather than the Department. The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of the National Curriculum on any specific group.

As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, students should be taught about different societies, and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain, and this can include the voices and experiences of Black and minority ethnic people. The flexibility within the history curriculum means that there is the opportunity for teachers to teach about Black and minority ethnic history across the spectrum of themes and eras set out in the curriculum.

There is scope to include Black and minority ethnic history and experience in other curriculums, such as in:

• Citizenship: At Key Stage 4, students should be taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding.

• PSHE: Schools have flexibility to teach topics such as Black history as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) programme and through the introduction of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education students will be taught the importance of respectful relationships in particular how stereotypes, based on sex, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability, can cause damage.

We want to support all young people to be happy, healthy and safe. We also want to equip them for adult life and to make a positive contribution to society. Schools are required to actively promote fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faith and beliefs.

From September 2020, Relationships Education will become compulsory for primary-aged pupils and Relationships and Sex Education will become compulsory for secondary-aged pupils. Statutory guidance for these subjects requires all primary-aged pupils to be taught the importance of respecting others, even when they are different from them, or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs. Pupils will also be taught what a stereotype is, and how stereotypes can be unfair, negative or destructive. This will be reinforced at secondary school when pupils will also learn about legal rights and responsibilities regarding equality (particularly with reference to the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010) and that everyone is unique and equal.

Schools can also choose to teach a range of subjects related to racism at primary, following the non-statutory framework for Citizenship. Pupils can be taught to identify and respect the differences between people; the consequences of anti-social and aggressive behaviour, including racism, on individuals; and how to respond to them and ask for help. The National Curriculum for Citizenship at secondary phase enables pupils to develop their understanding of the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the UK and the need for mutual respect and understanding. There is also flexibility within the history curriculum for teachers to teach about Black and minority ethnic history across the spectrum of themes and eras, to support an understanding of the active role Black and minority ethnic people have played in history.

The Department does not specify how schools should teach curriculum subjects. Schools have the freedom to use their professional judgements and an understanding of their pupils to develop the right approach for their schools. This includes decisions about which resources they may choose to support their teaching. The Department is developing training materials to support schools’ implementation of Relationships Education and Relationships and Sex Education. This will include training modules, implementation guidance, support to access resources and case studies. Schools who require more support will be able to access training through existing regional teaching school networks.

Racism in all its forms is abhorrent and has no place in our society. Schools play a significant role in teaching children about the importance of having respect and tolerance for all cultures. The Department is committed to an inclusive education system which recognises and embraces diversity and supports all students to tackle racism and have the knowledge and tools to do so.

The national curriculum is a framework setting out the content of what the Department expects schools to cover in each subject. The curriculum does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The Department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their students, and to make choices about what they teach and the resources they use, this also includes textbooks. The development and content of textbooks is a matter for individual publishers rather than the Department. The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of the National Curriculum on any specific group.

As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, students should be taught about different societies, and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain, and this can include the voices and experiences of Black and minority ethnic people. The flexibility within the history curriculum means that there is the opportunity for teachers to teach about Black and minority ethnic history across the spectrum of themes and eras set out in the curriculum.

There is scope to include Black and minority ethnic history and experience in other curriculums, such as in:

• Citizenship: At Key Stage 4, students should be taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding.

• PSHE: Schools have flexibility to teach topics such as Black history as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) programme and through the introduction of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education students will be taught the importance of respectful relationships in particular how stereotypes, based on sex, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability, can cause damage.

Racism in all its forms is abhorrent and has no place in our society. Schools play a significant role in teaching children about the importance of having respect and tolerance for all cultures. The Department is committed to an inclusive education system which recognises and embraces diversity and supports all students to tackle racism and have the knowledge and tools to do so.

The national curriculum is a framework setting out the content of what the Department expects schools to cover in each subject. The curriculum does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The Department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their students, and to make choices about what they teach and the resources they use, this also includes textbooks. The development and content of textbooks is a matter for individual publishers rather than the Department. The Department has not made an assessment of the impact of the National Curriculum on any specific group.

As part of a broad and balanced curriculum, students should be taught about different societies, and how different groups have contributed to the development of Britain, and this can include the voices and experiences of Black and minority ethnic people. The flexibility within the history curriculum means that there is the opportunity for teachers to teach about Black and minority ethnic history across the spectrum of themes and eras set out in the curriculum.

There is scope to include Black and minority ethnic history and experience in other curriculums, such as in:

• Citizenship: At Key Stage 4, students should be taught about the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding.

• PSHE: Schools have flexibility to teach topics such as Black history as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) programme and through the introduction of Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education students will be taught the importance of respectful relationships in particular how stereotypes, based on sex, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability, can cause damage.

Officials at the Department are aware of the recent report on ‘Race and Racism in English Secondary Schools’ published by the Runnymede Trust and continue to consider its implications. They have noted the report’s recommendations across the teacher workforce, curriculums, police and policies.

On the teacher workforce, in October 2018, the Department set out its commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce across all protected characteristics - including race - when it launched the Statement of Intent. This commitment to increasing teacher diversity was made alongside 10 co-signatories from the sector (including unions and grassroots organisations, such as BAMEed, WomenEd, LGBTed and Disability Ed) who set out their own individual activities. The Department has been making progress against its commitments including:

• Providing £2 million of funding in nationwide Equality and Diversity regional ‘hubs’ to support aspiring leaders, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, into headship;

• Reflecting the importance of diversity in the Department’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy published in January 2019;
• Continuing to engage with our signatories. In July 2019, we held a roundtable to gather progress updates and showcase best practice;
• Encouraging representative recruitment for NPQs for school leadership through key performance indicators.

On curricula, schools play an important role in preparing children for life in modern Britain and supporting them to understand the society they grow up in. All schools are required to teach a balanced and broadly based curriculum that promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils, and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. The national curriculum does not set out how curriculum subjects, or topics within the subjects, should be taught. The Department believes teachers should be able to use their own knowledge and expertise to determine how they teach their pupils, and to make choices about what they teach. Additionally, schools are required to promote fundamental British values, including individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.

On the presence of police in schools, there are good examples of joint working between police forces and schools which have been established through working effectively in partnership. Indeed, many schools have links with their local police forces and police officers play an important role in schools, engaging with and mentoring pupils. However, decisions about these relationships are rightly made at a local level between schools who know their pupils and police forces who know their local neighbourhoods.

On school policies to tackle racism, all children and young people must be treated fairly. Under the Equality Act 2010, schools must not discriminate against a pupil in a number of respects because of a characteristic protected by the Act, including race. The Public Sector Equality Duty also requires public bodies, including maintained schools and Academies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Act; advance equality of opportunity for people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and foster good relations across all characteristics. Additionally, the Department is clear that racism or bullying of any kind is completely unacceptable and schools should adhere to stringent behaviour policies to prevent this.

The Department collects information on newly qualified teachers (NQTs) [1] entering the workforce annually through the School Workforce Census. For entrants to be counted they must be in the workforce as of the census day which falls in November each year. Teachers that are recruited but leave before the census day are not counted.

Table 1 shows the full-time equivalent (FTE) number of NQTs recruited since 2011 that identify as black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) or female.

School workforce data has only been collected since 2010, so only eight years of data has been provided.

BAME teachers include all ethnic groups apart from the White ethnic groups (White British, White Irish and White Other).

Reporting of disability status is relatively low in the School Workforce Census. Only 42 percent of entrant records in the November 2018 School Workforce Census provide their disability status. As such, figures have not been provided.

Note that the data provided is from an internal analytical database which has marginal differences to the total number of NQTs and Deferred NQTs in the official publication due to using an updated methodology.

[1] Newly qualified teachers in this response include NQTs and Deferred NQTs (delayed NQT year by a year after qualified teacher status obtained).

In October 2018, the Department set out its commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce when it launched the Statement of Intent.

The Department has been making progress against the activities it committed to in the statement, including:

• Providing £2 million of funding to nationwide Equality and Diversity regional ‘hubs’ to support aspiring leaders, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds, into headship.
• Reflecting the importance of diversity in the Department’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy published in January 2019.
• Encouraging representative recruitment for National Professional Qualifications for school leadership through key performance indicators.

Between 2014 and 2018, over 2,900 teachers have been helped to take the next steps in their career through school-led diversity leadership training because of Equality and Diversity funding.

In formulating its school uniform policy, a school must consider its obligations not to discriminate unlawfully under equality law.

The Department provides guidance to help schools understand how the Equality Act affects them and how to fulfil their duties under the Act. The guidance makes clear to schools that decisions related to appearance, including on hair, must be made in accordance with their responsibilities under the Equality Act.

Our guidance on school uniform also advises schools to take on board the views of parents and pupils, and states that policies should be flexible enough to accommodate the different needs of students.

In making decisions about its school uniform policy, and all other policies, a school must have regard to its obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The school uniform guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform

The Equality Act guidance is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools

In formulating its school uniform policy, a school must consider its obligations not to discriminate unlawfully under equality law.

The Department provides guidance to help schools understand how the Equality Act affects them and how to fulfil their duties under the Act. The guidance makes clear to schools that decisions related to appearance, including on hair, must be made in accordance with their responsibilities under the Equality Act.

Our guidance on school uniform also advises schools to take on board the views of parents and pupils, and states that policies should be flexible enough to accommodate the different needs of students.

In making decisions about its school uniform policy, and all other policies, a school must have regard to its obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

The school uniform guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-uniform

The Equality Act guidance is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools

The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak is bringing significant financial challenges to the higher education (HE) sector and we have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts.

On 4 May 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.

We have stabilised the admissions system and will pull forward tuition fee payments, expected to be worth £2.6 billion, for providers so that they receive more money in the first term of the 2020/21 academic year. This will have no impact on students but will allow providers to better manage financial risks over the autumn. This will be available to all providers across the UK. In reprofiling these payments, we are clear in our expectation that providers should use the cashflow benefits appropriately, taking significant steps to improve efficiencies and manage their finances in order to avoid cashflow problems in the future. Reprofiling in this way is a one-off intervention for the autumn term only, to help providers take all necessary steps now to prepare for the future.

On 27 June, the government announced a further package of support to research-active universities to enable them to continue their research and innovation activities. This includes £280 million of government funding, and a package of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants, which will be available from autumn. In sharing responsibility for the future of science and research with our world-leading university system, the government will cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 2020/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity.

The government has also confirmed that providers are eligible to apply for its support packages, including business loan support schemes, which the Office for Students (OfS) the regulator in England, estimates could be worth at least £700 million to the sector.

The department is working closely with HM Treasury and other government departments to develop a restructuring regime?for HE providers in England. We will only intervene?where we find there is a case to do so and only where we believe intervention is possible and appropriate, and as a last resort.??A restructuring regime will review providers’ circumstances and assess the need for restructuring, financial?support?and any attached conditions. We are discussing our approach with the devolved administrations.

The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak is bringing significant financial challenges to the higher education (HE) sector and we have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts.

On 4 May 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced a package of measures to ensure sustainability in HE at a time of unprecedented uncertainty.

We have stabilised the admissions system and will pull forward tuition fee payments, expected to be worth £2.6 billion, for providers so that they receive more money in the first term of the 2020/21 academic year. This will have no impact on students but will allow providers to better manage financial risks over the autumn. This will be available to all providers across the UK. In reprofiling these payments, we are clear in our expectation that providers should use the cashflow benefits appropriately, taking significant steps to improve efficiencies and manage their finances in order to avoid cashflow problems in the future. Reprofiling in this way is a one-off intervention for the autumn term only, to help providers take all necessary steps now to prepare for the future.

On 27 June, the government announced a further package of support to research-active universities to enable them to continue their research and innovation activities. This includes £280 million of government funding, and a package of low-interest loans with long pay-back periods, supplemented by a small amount of government grants, which will be available from autumn. In sharing responsibility for the future of science and research with our world-leading university system, the government will cover up to 80% of a university’s income losses from international students for the academic year 2020/21, up to the value of their non-publicly funded research activity.

The government has also confirmed that providers are eligible to apply for its support packages, including business loan support schemes, which the Office for Students (OfS) the regulator in England, estimates could be worth at least £700 million to the sector.

The department is working closely with HM Treasury and other government departments to develop a restructuring regime?for HE providers in England. We will only intervene?where we find there is a case to do so and only where we believe intervention is possible and appropriate, and as a last resort.??A restructuring regime will review providers’ circumstances and assess the need for restructuring, financial?support?and any attached conditions. We are discussing our approach with the devolved administrations.

Departmental officials and I have been engaging with the sector to help to ensure that higher education providers can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and which help students achieve their academic goals. The vast majority of providers are planning for a mixture of face-to-face and online teaching in the autumn term, and we have already seen some fantastic, innovative preparations for blended education for the next academic year. Delivering through a mixture of face-to-face and online provision will enable them to prioritise safety and to comply with guidance from Public Health England.

Departmental officials are also working closely with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), which has recently published guidance, attached [1], setting out 4 key principles to inform providers as they plan for the next academic year. The principles are that any move to on-site activity is safe and secure for staff and students, that degree-awarding bodies maintain quality and standards in the move to flexible provision, that providers engage with students and staff in planning changes to delivery and assessment of teaching and learning and that providers' planning scenarios are flexible and responsive to students' needs.

As providers have moved a significant proportion of their provision online for both the remainder of the 2019/20 academic year and for the next academic year, maintaining the quality and value of online teaching and learning has been at the forefront of our actions. While the methods of delivery may have changed, we are engaging with the sector and the Office for Students (OfS) to ensure that the depth and breadth of the curriculum, the quality of the teaching and the value of the degree achieved are maintained. This will help to ensure that any online learning provides the same academic value to students as campus-based learning.

The OfS and the Office for the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education have both also recently issued guidance on student and consumer protection issues during the COVID-19 outbreak. The OfS and I have been clear that providers should give students clear and transparent information on what they can expect from their course in the next academic year and the extent to which initial teaching will be online, how this will happen and what support there will be for online learning.

[1] https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/guidance/preserving-quality-and-standards-through-a-time-of-rapid-change.pdf

Departmental officials and I have been engaging with the sector to help to ensure that higher education providers can continue to deliver courses which are fit for purpose and which help students achieve their academic goals. The vast majority of providers are planning for a mixture of face-to-face and online teaching in the autumn term, and we have already seen some fantastic, innovative preparations for blended education for the next academic year. Delivering through a mixture of face-to-face and online provision will enable them to prioritise safety and to comply with guidance from Public Health England.

Departmental officials are also working closely with the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), which has recently published guidance, attached [1], setting out 4 key principles to inform providers as they plan for the next academic year. The principles are that any move to on-site activity is safe and secure for staff and students, that degree-awarding bodies maintain quality and standards in the move to flexible provision, that providers engage with students and staff in planning changes to delivery and assessment of teaching and learning and that providers' planning scenarios are flexible and responsive to students' needs.

As providers have moved a significant proportion of their provision online for both the remainder of the 2019/20 academic year and for the next academic year, maintaining the quality and value of online teaching and learning has been at the forefront of our actions. While the methods of delivery may have changed, we are engaging with the sector and the Office for Students (OfS) to ensure that the depth and breadth of the curriculum, the quality of the teaching and the value of the degree achieved are maintained. This will help to ensure that any online learning provides the same academic value to students as campus-based learning.

The OfS and the Office for the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education have both also recently issued guidance on student and consumer protection issues during the COVID-19 outbreak. The OfS and I have been clear that providers should give students clear and transparent information on what they can expect from their course in the next academic year and the extent to which initial teaching will be online, how this will happen and what support there will be for online learning.

[1] https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/guidance/preserving-quality-and-standards-through-a-time-of-rapid-change.pdf

As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19. ?As the Education Secretary has set out, we are listening to those who need help and taking substantial action during this unprecedented time to make sure no child goes hungry.

Our latest guidance on free school meals is set out below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance/covid-19-free-school-meals-guidance-for-schools.

Provision for free school meals is ordinarily term time only. However, owing to the COVID-19 outbreak the government understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this, we will be providing additional funding for a Covid Summer Food Fund which will enable children who are eligible for free school meals to receive food vouchers covering the 6-week holiday period.

The government has made significant wider support available for children and families at this time. On 10 June, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, confirmed an additional £63 million to be distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to COVID-19. In addition, the government has introduced an uplift to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by around £1,000 a year for the next 12 months as part of an injection of over £6.5 billion by the government into the welfare system.

Additional support has been pledged by various departments across the government with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announcing the provision of £16 million for food support through charities, including FareShare and WRAP. DEFRA have also issued 2 million food packages to those who are shielding.

The Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food programme ensures that thousands of disadvantaged children have access to enriching activities and nutritious healthy meals over the summer.

More widely, the government has supported families to cope with the impact of COVID-19 by introducing a range of support measures, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme. Support has also been provided to help families pay their rent or mortgage, access sick pay, and delay tax payments.

Student Finance England processes applications for student financial support for English domiciled students studying in the UK and EU-domiciled students studying in England. Eligible full-time and part-time undergraduate students can apply for up-front tuition fee loans to meet the full costs of their tuition. Eligible students attending full-time courses and part-time degree and equivalent level courses can also apply for partially means-tested loans towards their living costs. Maintenance grants are only available in 2020/21 for small numbers of continuing full-time students who started their courses before 2016/17.

Applications for student support for full-time students opened in mid-February, and for part-time students in mid-June. As of 18 June 2020, Student Loan Company had processed 742,000 applications to Student Finance England for undergraduate tuition fee loans, 716,000 for maintenance loans, and 800 for maintenance grants for the 2020/21 academic year.

Students can apply for student finance up to nine months after the commencement of their course each academic year. This means that application numbers are likely to continue to rise as we approach the start of the 2020/21 academic year and for a period beyond that.

In the 2018/19 academic year, tuition fees from international students at UK higher education providers accounted for around £7 billion of sector income. The government recognises that the COVID-19 outbreak will have an unparalleled impact on all elements of the global and UK economies. The higher education sector, including student recruitment, is no exception. We have been working closely with the sector to monitor the likely impacts of COVID-19 on international student numbers, including restrictions on travel. We understand that the COVID-19 outbreak and a possible reduction in the number of international students poses significant challenges and we stand ready to help the sector with various mitigations.

On Monday 4 May, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, announced the package of measures to stabilise university admissions this autumn and ensure sustainability in higher education at a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Full details of the package have been published on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/news/government-support-package-for-universities-and-students.

The government is also working to ensure that existing rules and regulations, including visa regulations, are as flexible as possible for international students under these unprecedented circumstances. For example, on 16 June, the government confirmed that distance/blended learning will be permitted for the 2020/21 academic year provided students intend to transition to face-to-face learning as soon as circumstances allow. In addition, higher education providers will be flexible in accommodating applicants’ circumstances where possible, including if applicants are unable to travel to the UK in time for the start of the academic year.

The new graduate route, due to be launched in summer 2021, provides an opportunity for international students who have been awarded their degree to stay and work in the UK at any skill level for 2 years. The government has also confirmed that those studying by distance/blended learning will be eligible to apply for the graduate route provided they are in the UK by 6 April 2021.

On Friday 5 June, the Department for Education announced Sir Steve Smith as the International Education Champion, a key deliverable of the 2019 International Education Strategy. Sir Steve Smith will assist with opening up export growth opportunities for the whole UK education sector, tackling international challenges such as those posed to attracting international students and forging lasting global connections. The International Education Strategy,?published in March 2019 by the Department for Education and the Department for International Trade, set out a commitment to review progress following its publication.??The review, which we intend to publish this autumn, will?ensure that the International Education Strategy?responds to this new context and the challenges that are?posed by COVID-19.

Our most recent estimate of the number of English-domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants studying at UK universities in the 2020/21 academic year is 377,000. This estimate is from March 2020 (and pre-dates the COVID-19 outbreak). The department is working closely with the sector to understand the likely impacts of COVID-19 on the higher education (HE) sector, including student numbers, and has introduced a HE stabilisation package to support the stability of the HE sector and protect the interests of students.

There is no need for students to defer their studies this year if they do not wish to do so. Any student who wants to defer their studies should do so through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) system, but we would want to be sure that where they do so, they make their decision based on the best possible advice and information. The level of activity most recently reported by UCAS and the Student Loans Company (SLC) indicates that there are no signs of the level of deferrals being significantly different to that seen in previous years.

We have had regular discussions with sector representative bodies, such as Universities UK (UUK), since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. We know that UUK is working with their members and UCAS to provide as much clarity as possible to applicants about likely arrangements for the delivery of HE university courses this autumn.

Our most recent estimate of the number of English-domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants studying at UK universities in the 2020/21 academic year is 377,000. This estimate is from March 2020 (and pre-dates the COVID-19 outbreak). The department is working closely with the sector to understand the likely impacts of COVID-19 on the higher education (HE) sector, including student numbers, and has introduced a HE stabilisation package to support the stability of the HE sector and protect the interests of students.

There is no need for students to defer their studies this year if they do not wish to do so. Any student who wants to defer their studies should do so through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) system, but we would want to be sure that where they do so, they make their decision based on the best possible advice and information. The level of activity most recently reported by UCAS and the Student Loans Company (SLC) indicates that there are no signs of the level of deferrals being significantly different to that seen in previous years.

We have had regular discussions with sector representative bodies, such as Universities UK (UUK), since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. We know that UUK is working with their members and UCAS to provide as much clarity as possible to applicants about likely arrangements for the delivery of HE university courses this autumn.

Our most recent estimate of the number of English-domiciled full-time undergraduate entrants studying at UK universities in the 2020/21 academic year is 377,000. This estimate is from March 2020 (and pre-dates the COVID-19 outbreak). The department is working closely with the sector to understand the likely impacts of COVID-19 on the higher education (HE) sector, including student numbers, and has introduced a HE stabilisation package to support the stability of the HE sector and protect the interests of students.

There is no need for students to defer their studies this year if they do not wish to do so. Any student who wants to defer their studies should do so through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) system, but we would want to be sure that where they do so, they make their decision based on the best possible advice and information. The level of activity most recently reported by UCAS and the Student Loans Company (SLC) indicates that there are no signs of the level of deferrals being significantly different to that seen in previous years.

We have had regular discussions with sector representative bodies, such as Universities UK (UUK), since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. We know that UUK is working with their members and UCAS to provide as much clarity as possible to applicants about likely arrangements for the delivery of HE university courses this autumn.

Higher education providers (HEPs) are independent institutions and are responsible for their own decisions on staffing and employment contracts.

The department provided sector-specific guidance on 17 April to help providers understand and access the range of government support on offer to support financial viability and sustainability and safeguard jobs. In developing this guidance, the department worked across government to ensure the various funding streams that support university research were included and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was available in higher education (HE). Officials also consulted trade unions as well as Universities UK (UUK) and the Universities & Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) to understand staff and employer concerns and ensure the guidance addressed these where possible.

The department remains in close communication with partners in the HE sector who are considering educational provision for the academic year 2020/2021. To help HEPs make informed decisions about their provision, the government has issued guidance on reopening campuses and buildings while minimising the risk to students and staff, which is complemented by principles published by UUK that will underpin HEPs’ reopening plans.

The independent qualifications regulator, Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, has been working with awarding organisations to develop a robust process for awarding grades this year.

Whilst these are matters for Ofqual, the Department has been keeping in close touch with Ofqual as it has worked up its proposals and has joined some meetings that Ofqual has held with the awarding organisations. Our shared aim is that the arrangements should deliver the fairest possible outcomes for all students, including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students.

This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sally Collier, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Provision for free school meals is ordinarily term time only. However, owing to COVID-19, the government fully understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this, we will be providing additional funding for a COVID-19 Summer Food Fund which will enable families with children who are eligible for free school meals to receive food vouchers covering the 6-week holiday period. This is a specific measure to reflect the unique circumstances of the outbreak and builds on wider support put in place by the government. This support includes the Department for Education’s holiday activities and food programme, providing support to thousands of disadvantaged children this summer, and our investment of up to £35 million in a national breakfast clubs programme, which provides a healthy start to children in schools in disadvantaged areas.

Provision for free school meals is ordinarily term time only. However, owing to the coronavirus outbreak, the government fully understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this, we will be providing additional funding for a Covid-19 Summer Food Fund which will enable families with children who are eligible for free school meals to receive food vouchers covering the 6-week holiday period. This is a specific measure to reflect the unique circumstances of the outbreak.

In response to Covid-19, the government has made significant wider support available for children and families, injecting over £6.5 billion into the welfare system to ensure people are receiving the support they need. This includes increasing the standard rate of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit for this year by around £1,000 per year. On 10 June, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister confirmed an additional £63 million to be distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to COVID-19. A further £3.2 billion has gone to local authorities, supporting them with frontline services. Additionally, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are providing £16 million for food support through charities including FareShare and WRAP. This summer, the department will also again run the Holiday Activities & Food programme, through which thousands of disadvantaged pupils will benefit from support.

Provision for free school meals is ordinarily term time only. However, owing to the coronavirus outbreak, the government fully understands that children and parents face an entirely unprecedented situation over the summer. To reflect this, we will be providing additional funding for a Covid-19 Summer Food Fund which will enable families with children who are eligible for free school meals to receive food vouchers covering the 6-week holiday period. This is a specific measure to reflect the unique circumstances of the outbreak.

In response to Covid-19, the government has made significant wider support available for children and families, injecting over £6.5 billion into the welfare system to ensure people are receiving the support they need. This includes increasing the standard rate of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit for this year by around £1,000 per year. On 10 June, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister confirmed an additional £63 million to be distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to COVID-19. A further £3.2 billion has gone to local authorities, supporting them with frontline services. Additionally, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs are providing £16 million for food support through charities including FareShare and WRAP. This summer, the department will also again run the Holiday Activities & Food programme, through which thousands of disadvantaged pupils will benefit from support.

The closest matching available data on pupil attendance in educational establishments since 23 March was published on Tuesday 9 June at the following link and covers data up to Thursday 4 June:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings

The data is collected from individual education establishments and the published figures include estimates for non-response.

The closest matching available data on pupil attendance in educational establishments since 23 March was published on Tuesday 9 June at the following link and covers data up to Thursday 4 June:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings

The data is collected from individual education establishments and the published figures include estimates for non-response.

There have been weekly meetings involving the Secretary of State for Education and headteacher unions. There have been at least weekly official-led meetings involving the headteacher unions but often that engagement has been much more frequent. The headteacher reference groups are maintaining their usual schedule of meeting five times a year.

From 1 June, the Department asked primary schools to welcome back pupils in nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. From 15 June, the Department will ask secondary schools and colleges to provide some face-to-face support for pupils who are due to take exams next year, such as pupils in years 10 and 12 as well as 16 to 19 students in the first year of a 2-year study programme

Unlike older children and adults, early years and primary age children cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff. In deciding to bring more children back to early years and schools, this has been taken into account. Guidance has been published on the protective measures that schools and nurseries should implement to reduce the risks of transmission:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings.

As more year groups return to school, we have asked leaders and teachers to focus on supporting pupils’ mental health and wellbeing and assess where pupils are in their education and agree what adjustments and support are required.

A planning guide has been published for primary schools in order to help school leaders to prepare and decide arrangements for more children returning to school: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools.

Guidance for secondary schools has also been published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools.

The new NHS Test and Trace service was launched on 28 May across England. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will need to share information about their recent interactions. The Government has recruited 25,000 contact tracers, able to track 10,000 new cases a day.

If a child or young person in school develops symptoms compatible with COVID-19, they should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 7 days and arrange to have a test. Where the child or young person tests positive, traced close contacts, including the rest of their small group, should be sent home and advised to self-isolate for 14 days.

As part of the national test and trace programme, if further positive test results arise among the child’s class or school, Public Health England’s local Health Protection Teams will conduct a rapid investigation into the outbreak and will advise schools and other settings on the most appropriate action to take. In some cases, a larger number of other children may be asked to self-isolate at home as a precautionary measure.

We are expecting the majority of schools and nurseries to open for children and young people who are eligible so that they can continue to attend their usual school. We recognise that schools need time to plan and to implement the guidance to open more widely, and that some will not have been able to do so by 1 June. We are committed to continuing to work with the sector to ensure any schools experiencing difficulties are able to open more widely as soon as possible.

Where a school is unable to stay open, we will work with local authorities, regional school commissioners and neighboring providers to find an alternative setting for their students.

We have made temporary changes to the law to allow children to attend another school on a temporary basis if their school is closed. The changes ensure they can return to their normal school once it reopens.

The Government made clear that schools would only be opened more widely when the five key tests set by Government justified the changes at the time.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) Children’s Task and Finish Working Group have provided scientific health advice to the Government. This advice was used, alongside other sources of information, to inform decision making on the wider opening of schools.

SAGE are publishing papers in regular tranches. The list of papers to be released to date are available by following this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response. This includes several schools-related papers and those authored by the Task and Finish Group.

The Task and Finish Group’s paper provided insights from indicative modelling of a number of different school opening scenarios. It also provided a behavioural assessment of these options. In doing so it highlighted that wider contextual issues should be considered when assessing the impact of relaxing school closures including the role of testing in schools. The Task and Finish groups paper can be found by following this link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/886994/s0257-sage-sub-group-modelling-behavioural-science-relaxing-school-closures-sage30.pdf.

In addition, the Department for Education has published an explanatory note to accompany SAGE’s findings from the Interdisciplinary Task and Finish Group and can be found by following this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-explanatory-note-on-sage-modelling.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children at home who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals, by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils, and this can include food parcel arrangements, alternative voucher arrangements or provision through the national voucher scheme.

We do not hold information on the value of unredeemed vouchers. However, as of Wednesday 3 June, Edenred has reported that over £129 million worth of voucher codes have been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme. Edenred has reported that over 17,500 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 26 May. Edenred do not report on the data broken down below national level.

We are continuing to work very closely with Edenred to improve the performance of the national voucher scheme. The scheme continues to get easier and faster to use. The latest information provided by Edenred indicates that parents and schools are now facing minimal or no waiting time for orders that are placed online, despite continued growth in the number of parents and schools using the scheme.

These are rapidly developing circumstances. We continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children at home who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals, by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils, and this can include food parcel arrangements, alternative voucher arrangements or provision through the national voucher scheme.

We do not hold information on the value of unredeemed vouchers. However, as of Wednesday 3 June, Edenred has reported that over £129 million worth of voucher codes have been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme. Edenred has reported that over 17,500 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 26 May. Edenred do not report on the data broken down below national level.

We are continuing to work very closely with Edenred to improve the performance of the national voucher scheme. The scheme continues to get easier and faster to use. The latest information provided by Edenred indicates that parents and schools are now facing minimal or no waiting time for orders that are placed online, despite continued growth in the number of parents and schools using the scheme.

These are rapidly developing circumstances. We continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children at home who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals, by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils, and this can include food parcel arrangements, alternative voucher arrangements or provision through the national voucher scheme.

We do not hold information on the value of unredeemed vouchers. However, as of Wednesday 3 June, Edenred has reported that over £129 million worth of voucher codes have been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme. Edenred has reported that over 17,500 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 26 May. Edenred do not report on the data broken down below national level.

We are continuing to work very closely with Edenred to improve the performance of the national voucher scheme. The scheme continues to get easier and faster to use. The latest information provided by Edenred indicates that parents and schools are now facing minimal or no waiting time for orders that are placed online, despite continued growth in the number of parents and schools using the scheme.

These are rapidly developing circumstances. We continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

The government remains committed to promoting and supporting the mental health of children and young people. Access to mental health support including bereavement support is more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS services remain open, and leading mental health charities are being supported to deliver additional services through the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund.

All NHS Mental Health Trusts have been asked to ensure there are 24/7 open access telephone lines to support people of all ages. Public Health England and Health Education England have also developed advice and guidance for parents and professionals on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, including bereavement support, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.

The department has signposted resources on supporting and promoting mental wellbeing, among the list of resources to help children to learn at home, which are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources. BBC Bitesize has also worked with the department to provide content with substantial focus on mental health, wellbeing and pastoral care.

The return to school will, in itself, be part of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils, as attendance enables social interaction with peers, carers and teachers. Pupil wellbeing is an important consideration within our guidance on actions for educational and childcare settings as they begin to open in June 2020. Further information is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020.

Children and young people can access free confidential support anytime from government-backed voluntary and community sector organisations either by texting SHOUT to 85258, or by calling Childline on 0800 1111 or The Mix on 0808 808 4994. Children and young people can also find online information on COVID-19 and mental health on the Young Minds website, which is available here:
https://youngminds.org.uk/about-us/reports/coronavirus-impact-on-young-people-with-mental-health-needs/.

For bereavement support children and young people can find online support from Bereavement UK, which provides information and resources to support bereaved pupils, schools and staff, and their website is available here:
https://www.childbereavementuk.org/.

Alternatively, children and young people can access support from the Childhood Bereavement Network website, which is available here:
http://www.childhoodbereavementnetwork.org.uk/.

The Department has published guidance on implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings. The Department worked closely with Public Health England on this guidance, which includes confirmation that wearing a face covering or face mask in schools or nurseries is not recommended.

Face coverings may be beneficial for short periods indoors where there is a risk of close social contact with people you do not usually meet and where social distancing and other measures cannot be maintained, for example on public transport or in some shops. This does not apply to schools or nurseries. Changing habits, cleaning and hygiene are effective measures in controlling the spread of the virus. Face coverings should not be worn in any circumstance by those who may not be able to handle them as directed (for example, young children) as it may inadvertently increase the risk of transmission.

The majority of staff in education settings will not require personal protective equipment (PPE) beyond what they would normally need for their work, even if they are not always able to maintain a distance of 2 metres from others. PPE is only needed in a very small number of cases including:

• children, young people and students whose care routinely already involves the use of PPE due to their intimate care needs should continue to receive their care in the same way
• if a pupil or student becomes unwell with symptoms of COVID-19 while in their setting and needs direct personal care until they can return home.

Further guidance on implementing protective measures can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings#personal-protective-equipment-ppe-including-face-coverings-and-face-masks.

From 1 June, the Department asked primary schools to welcome back pupils in nursery, Reception, year 1 and year 6. From 15 June, the Department will ask secondary schools and colleges to provide some face-to-face support for pupils who are due to take exams next year, such as pupils in years 10 and 12 as well as 16 to 19 students in the first year of a 2-year study programme.

The Department will continue to be informed by the latest scientific advice. Schools will only be asked to welcome back additional year groups if the most up-to-date assessment of the risk posed by COVID-19 indicates it is appropriate to have larger numbers of children within schools.

The Department has been in regular contact with local authorities during the period of partial school closure and in preparation for the phased wider opening of schools from 1 June, and these conversations will continue. This has included meetings with representatives of local authority home to school transport teams.

The closest matching available data on pupil attendance in educational establishments since 23 March was published on Tuesday 9 June at the following link and covers data up to Thursday 4 June:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings

The data is collected from individual education establishments and the published figures include estimates for non-response.

We want to get all children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.

We are committed to giving as much notice of further wider opening as we can, to give schools time to prepare, while ensuring that we are informed by the latest scientific advice.

We know that, unlike older children and adults, early years and primary age children cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff. In deciding to bring more children back to schools and nurseries, we are taking this into account. The Department has published guidance for schools on implementing protective measures in schools to help limit the spread of COVID-19:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings.

The approaches and actions in this guidance can be seen as a hierarchy of controls that, when implemented, creates an inherently safer system, where the risk of transmission of infection is substantially reduced.

Secondary schools should aim to practice social distancing in line with the measures the Government is asking everyone to adopt in public and in workplaces, including keeping pupils 2 metres apart from each other where possible. This is more achievable in secondary schools than in primary schools, due to the age of the pupils. Guidance for secondary schools is also available on GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools.

It is important for young people to learn about climate change and sustainability issues. That is why both are included as part of the science and geography curricula and qualifications.

For example, in primary science pupils are taught about how environments can change as a result of human actions. In secondary science, pupils are taught about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. In GCSE science pupils consider the evidence for additional anthropogenic causes of climate change.

As part of GCSE geography pupils study the causes, consequences, and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards. In 2017, the Department also introduced a new environmental science A level. This enables students to study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and sustainability.

Schools and teachers are free to go beyond the areas set out in the National Curriculum and can deliver more in-depth teaching of the topics. The curriculum deliberately gives teachers and schools the flexibility to decide how it should be taught. Pupils’ knowledge of these areas of the curriculum will be assessed through teacher and school assessment and relevant qualifications. The quality of education provided at a school, including curriculum coverage, is a central part of Ofsted’s inspection framework. The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) regulates qualifications (including GCSEs and A levels), examinations and assessments in England.

Sustainability content will also be included in T levels - the new post-16 technical study programmes. When designing outline course content for the technical qualifications, the T level panels of employers and industry experts must consider sustainability where relevant to their sector. For example, in the Construction and Engineering and Manufacturing routes, T level students will be required to learn about renewable energy and emerging technologies to support energy efficiency.

It is important for young people to learn about climate change and sustainability issues. That is why both are included as part of the science and geography curricula and qualifications.

For example, in primary science pupils are taught about how environments can change as a result of human actions. In secondary science, pupils are taught about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. In GCSE science pupils consider the evidence for additional anthropogenic causes of climate change.

As part of GCSE geography pupils study the causes, consequences, and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards. In 2017, the Department also introduced a new environmental science A level. This enables students to study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and sustainability.

Schools and teachers are free to go beyond the areas set out in the National Curriculum and can deliver more in-depth teaching of the topics. The curriculum deliberately gives teachers and schools the flexibility to decide how it should be taught. Pupils’ knowledge of these areas of the curriculum will be assessed through teacher and school assessment and relevant qualifications. The quality of education provided at a school, including curriculum coverage, is a central part of Ofsted’s inspection framework. The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) regulates qualifications (including GCSEs and A levels), examinations and assessments in England.

Sustainability content will also be included in T levels - the new post-16 technical study programmes. When designing outline course content for the technical qualifications, the T level panels of employers and industry experts must consider sustainability where relevant to their sector. For example, in the Construction and Engineering and Manufacturing routes, T level students will be required to learn about renewable energy and emerging technologies to support energy efficiency.

The government remains committed to promoting and supporting the mental health of children and young people. Access to mental health support is more important than ever during the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS services remain open and leading mental health charities are being supported to deliver additional services through the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund. The NHS is also setting up 24/7 open access telephone lines for urgent mental health support for people of all ages.

The department has established a dedicated helpline and webpages covering advice for the education sector, as well as advice for parents and carers supporting children. The pages on GOV.UK include information about how education settings, and parents and carers, can support children and young people who may be struggling with mental health during this difficult time. These pages include the following:

• educational provision for vulnerable children and children of key workers, which is available here:
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-vulnerable-children-and-young-people;
• safeguarding, including keeping children safe from online harms, which is available here:
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-safeguarding-in-schools-colleges-and-other-providers/coronavirus-covid-19-safeguarding-in-schools-colleges-and-other-providers;
• advice on mental health and behaviour, which is available here:
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2; and
• online education resources, including resources to support mental wellbeing, physical activity, and special educational needs and disabilities, which is available here:
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources/coronavirus-covid-19-list-of-online-education-resources-for-home-education.

The return to school will in itself be part of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils as attendance enables social interaction with peers, carers and teachers. Pupil wellbeing is an important consideration within our guidance on actions for educational and childcare settings as they prepare for wider opening from 1 June 2020. The guidance is available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020.

Pupil wellbeing is also included as a specific theme in the planning framework the department has issued. We are continuing to talk with school and health partners on how to make further resources and support available to schools as children and young people return. The planning framework is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/opening-schools-for-more-children-and-young-people-initial-planning-framework-for-schools-in-england.

From the week commencing 1 June, at the earliest, the Department will be asking primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, alongside priority groups. We will only do this provided that the five key tests set by the Government justify the changes at the time.

The Government published its COVID-19 recovery strategy on 11 May, which confirmed that schools should prepare to begin to open for more children from 1 June – giving schools a three week notice period. On the same day, the Department for Education published guidance for schools to support planning for 1 June, including guidance on implementing protective measures.

The Department is currently working closely with the sector to determine the best way for schools to open for more pupils, in line with the five key tests set out by the Government. There continues to be extensive engagement with headteacher unions at both a ministerial and official level, as well as engagement with the Department for Education’s headteacher reference groups at an official level.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and its sub-group the Children’s Task and Finish Working Group have provided scientific health advice to the Government. This advice has been used, alongside other sources of information, to inform decision making on potential schools re-opening options.

The list of papers to be released to date are available by following the link below, including several schools-related papers. This list will be updated to reflect papers considered at future meetings:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response

The Government has also made clear that schools will only be opened more widely when the five key tests set by Government justify the changes at the time, including that the rate of infection is decreasing.

The Department has also engaged with Public Health England to devise a ‘hierarchy of controls’ which, when implemented, will create an inherently safer system where the risk of transmission of the infection is substantially reduced.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and its sub-group the Children’s Task and Finish Working Group have provided scientific health advice to the Government. This advice has been used, alongside other sources of information, to inform decision making on potential schools re-opening options.

The list of papers to be released to date are available by following the link below, including several schools-related papers. This list will be updated to reflect papers considered at future meetings:

https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/scientific-advisory-group-for-emergencies-sage-coronavirus-covid-19-response

The Government has also made clear that schools will only be opened more widely when the five key tests set by Government justify the changes at the time, including that the rate of infection is decreasing.

The Department has also engaged with Public Health England to devise a ‘hierarchy of controls’ which, when implemented, will create an inherently safer system where the risk of transmission of the infection is substantially reduced.

From the week commencing 1 June, at the earliest, the Department will be asking primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, alongside priority groups. We will only do this provided that the five key tests set by the Government justify the changes at the time.

The Department will prioritise younger children in the first phases of wider opening, for several reasons. Firstly, there is moderately high scientific confidence in evidence suggesting younger children are less likely to become unwell if infected with COVID-19. Secondly, evidence shows the particularly detrimental impact which time spent out of education can have upon them. In addition, older children are more likely to have higher numbers of contacts outside of school so pose a greater transmission risk, and they are typically better able to learn at home.

The three year groups within mainstream primary have been prioritised because they are key transition years. Children in Reception and Year 1 are at the very beginning of their school career and are mastering the essential basics, including counting and the fundamentals of reading and writing, and learning to socialise with their peers. We know that attending early education lays the foundation for a child's education and supports children’s social and emotional development. Year 6 children are finishing Key Stage 2 and are preparing for the transition to secondary school, and will benefit immensely from time with their friends and teachers to ensure they are ready.

We want to get children and young people back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to be educated and learn. We will only do this provided that the five key tests set by Government justify the changes at the time.

Children, young people and teachers’ safety is our top priority. This is why we are taking a phased approach to opening for more children, to limit the risk of increasing the rate of transmission. We have also issued guidance to childcare settings, schools and colleges on the protective measures they should put in place to reduce risk further:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings.

These include children and young people staying within their new, smaller, classes wherever possible and limiting contact between different groups. We have also set out a range of additional protective measures including frequent cleaning, encouraging good hand and respiratory hygiene, reducing ‘pinch points’ (such as parents dropping children off at the start and end of the day), and using outdoor space.

To enable schools to welcome a wider group of children and young people from 1 June, they will have access to testing if they display symptoms, as will any symptomatic members of their household. A negative test will enable children to get back to childcare or education, and their parents to get back to work. A positive test will ensure rapid action to protect their classmates and staff in their setting.

Parents and children should consider walking and cycling to school where possible, or driving if necessary. They should avoid the use of public transport where possible. The Department for Transport has published guidance on safer travel for the public. It is available here: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers. Parents and children may wish to refer to this when planning their journeys, and to help them minimise risk where the use of public transport is unavoidable.

Some children have their home to school transport arranged by their local authority or school. Local authorities and schools should put in place arrangements which fit local circumstances and minimise the risk of transmission, as far as is possible. This should include making sure transport providers follow hygiene rules. They may wish to refer to the Department for Transport’s guidance for transport operators here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-transport-guidance-for-operators.

In addition, the phased wider opening of schools will limit the number of children travelling on home to school transport in the initial phase. Where transport capacity allows, local authorities could consider substituting smaller vehicles with larger ones, or running two vehicles rather than one, to reduce the number of passengers per vehicle and help passengers keep their distance.

We are in contact with local authorities to help resolve issues as they arise.

The safety of pupils and staff returning to school is key. We know that, unlike older children and adults, early years and primary age children cannot be expected to remain 2 metres apart from each other and staff. In deciding to bring more children back to early years and schools, we are taking this into account. Protective measures are possible which, when implemented, substantially reduce the risk of transmission of infection. Schools should therefore work through the hierarchy of protective measures:

• avoiding contact with anyone with symptoms
• frequent hand cleaning and good respiratory hygiene practices
• regular cleaning of settings
• minimising contact and mixing

It is still important to reduce contact between people as much as possible, and we can achieve that and reduce transmission risk by ensuring children, young people and staff, where possible, only mix in a small, consistent group and that small group stays away from other people and groups. Public Health England is clear that if early years settings, schools and colleges do this, and crucially if they are also applying regular hand cleaning, hygiene and cleaning measures and handling potential cases of the virus as per the advice, then the risk of transmission will be lowered. Where settings are able to keep children and young people in those small groups 2 metres away from each other, they should do so.

Each setting’s circumstances will be slightly different. Any setting that cannot achieve these small groups at any point should discuss options with their local authority or trust. This might be because there are not enough classrooms or spaces available in the setting. Solutions might involve children attending a nearby school, or schools prioritising the younger age groups of newly eligible children. We have published guidance on implementing protective measures in education and childcare settings to support settings to get this right, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-protective-measures-in-education-and-childcare-settings.

The Government wants to get all children back into education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know it is good for children’s mental wellbeing to have social interactions with other children, carers and teachers.

From the week commencing 1 June 2020 at the earliest, the Department will be asking primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, reception, Year 1 and Year 6, alongside priority groups.

The Department has provided information and guidance for parents and carers about the wider opening of nurseries, schools and colleges from 1 June. The guidance includes information about the latest scientific advice and the protective measures that schools can implement to minimise risk. It also includes information on what will happen if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a school. The guidance is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/closure-of-educational-settings-information-for-parents-and-carers/reopening-schools-and-other-educational-settings-from-1-june.

From the week commencing 1 June 2020 at the earliest, the Department will be asking primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, reception, Year 1 and Year 6, alongside priority groups.

Children and young people in eligible year groups are strongly encouraged to attend (where there are no shielding concerns for the child or their household), so that they can gain the educational and wellbeing benefits of attending. From 1 June, schools should resume taking their attendance register and continue to complete the online educational setting status form to provide daily updates on how many children are in school.

Parents will not be fined for non-attendance at this time, and schools will not be held to account for attendance levels.

From the week commencing 1 June, at the earliest, we will be asking primary schools to welcome back children in nursery, reception, year 1 and year 6, alongside priority groups. We will only do this provided that the five key tests set by the Government justify the changes at the time. We are asking school to plan on this basis, ahead of confirmation that these tests are met.

The Department has already published a range of guidance for settings on GOV.UK to help them prepare. The main guidance to help settings prepare for wider opening is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/actions-for-education-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020.

The Department has also published a planning guide for primary schools which includes a section on what to teach, and how:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-primary-schools#planning-what-to-teach-and-how.

A guide for secondary school provision has been published: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools.

Teachers will continue to be able to access support to deliver remote teaching to year groups not eligible to be in school at this time. Schools are encouraged to consider how Oak National Academy or other remote education platforms can provide additional support, as well as how education delivered in school, if manageable, could be made available to pupils learning remotely. The Department has provided a range of information, guidance and support on GOV.UK for teachers and leaders on educating children during the COVID-19 outbreak, which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

As both my right hon. Friends, the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Our latest guidance for schools is set out below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

There continues to be extensive engagement between the Department for Education and headteacher unions at both an official and ministerial level, including a weekly meeting involving my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. The department has also met its headteacher reference groups. Issues around pupils’ access to food are regularly raised in these discussions.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Our latest guidance for schools is set out below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals, by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils and this can include food parcel arrangements, alternative voucher arrangements or provision through the national voucher scheme. Some schools may adopt a combination of these approaches. We do not hold data at a pupil or family level for the national voucher scheme. However, the supplier, Edenred has reported that 17,000 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 12 May. Edenred has also reported that that over £101.5 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Friday 22 May.

The overall number and proportion of students who qualify for free school meals is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication and its underlying data files. As of the 2019 school census, there are around 1.3 million children eligible for and claiming free school meals. More recent figures are not yet available. The 2019 publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2019.

The responsibility for checking the eligibility of applicants for free school meals rests with the individual school. However, many schools will choose to work with local authorities to carry out these checks via our Eligibility Checking System. The department does not hold details of when applications are submitted locally for free school meals and we do not hold data on the time that may elapse between an application and the receipt of meals or vouchers. These arrangements are managed locally.

We have been working very closely with Edenred to improve the performance of the national voucher scheme, including in relation to the waiting times that parents and schools have experienced when accessing the system. We are very grateful to families and schools for their understanding and patience while this service has been upgraded to meet increased demand.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Our latest guidance for schools is set out below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals, by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils and this can include food parcel arrangements, alternative voucher arrangements or provision through the national voucher scheme. Some schools may adopt a combination of these approaches. We do not hold data at a pupil or family level for the national voucher scheme. However, the supplier, Edenred has reported that 17,000 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 12 May. Edenred has also reported that that over £101.5 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Friday 22 May.

The overall number and proportion of students who qualify for free school meals is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication and its underlying data files. As of the 2019 school census, there are around 1.3 million children eligible for and claiming free school meals. More recent figures are not yet available. The 2019 publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2019.

The responsibility for checking the eligibility of applicants for free school meals rests with the individual school. However, many schools will choose to work with local authorities to carry out these checks via our Eligibility Checking System. The department does not hold details of when applications are submitted locally for free school meals and we do not hold data on the time that may elapse between an application and the receipt of meals or vouchers. These arrangements are managed locally.

We have been working very closely with Edenred to improve the performance of the national voucher scheme, including in relation to the waiting times that parents and schools have experienced when accessing the system. We are very grateful to families and schools for their understanding and patience while this service has been upgraded to meet increased demand.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Our latest guidance for schools is set out below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals, by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils and this can include food parcel arrangements, alternative voucher arrangements or provision through the national voucher scheme. Some schools may adopt a combination of these approaches. We do not hold data at a pupil or family level for the national voucher scheme. However, the supplier, Edenred has reported that 17,000 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 12 May. Edenred has also reported that that over £101.5 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Friday 22 May.

The overall number and proportion of students who qualify for free school meals is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication and its underlying data files. As of the 2019 school census, there are around 1.3 million children eligible for and claiming free school meals. More recent figures are not yet available. The 2019 publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2019.

The responsibility for checking the eligibility of applicants for free school meals rests with the individual school. However, many schools will choose to work with local authorities to carry out these checks via our Eligibility Checking System. The department does not hold details of when applications are submitted locally for free school meals and we do not hold data on the time that may elapse between an application and the receipt of meals or vouchers. These arrangements are managed locally.

We have been working very closely with Edenred to improve the performance of the national voucher scheme, including in relation to the waiting times that parents and schools have experienced when accessing the system. We are very grateful to families and schools for their understanding and patience while this service has been upgraded to meet increased demand.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Our latest guidance for schools is set out below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals, by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils and this can include food parcel arrangements, alternative voucher arrangements or provision through the national voucher scheme. Some schools may adopt a combination of these approaches. We do not hold data at a pupil or family level for the national voucher scheme. However, the supplier, Edenred has reported that 17,000 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 12 May. Edenred has also reported that that over £101.5 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Friday 22 May.

The overall number and proportion of students who qualify for free school meals is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication and its underlying data files. As of the 2019 school census, there are around 1.3 million children eligible for and claiming free school meals. More recent figures are not yet available. The 2019 publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2019.

The responsibility for checking the eligibility of applicants for free school meals rests with the individual school. However, many schools will choose to work with local authorities to carry out these checks via our Eligibility Checking System. The department does not hold details of when applications are submitted locally for free school meals and we do not hold data on the time that may elapse between an application and the receipt of meals or vouchers. These arrangements are managed locally.

We have been working very closely with Edenred to improve the performance of the national voucher scheme, including in relation to the waiting times that parents and schools have experienced when accessing the system. We are very grateful to families and schools for their understanding and patience while this service has been upgraded to meet increased demand.

As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.

Our latest guidance for schools is set out below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.

These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.

During this period, we are asking schools to support children who are eligible for and claiming benefits-related free school meals, by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why on 31 March we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.

Schools are best placed to make decisions about the most appropriate arrangements for eligible pupils and this can include food parcel arrangements, alternative voucher arrangements or provision through the national voucher scheme. Some schools may adopt a combination of these approaches. We do not hold data at a pupil or family level for the national voucher scheme. However, the supplier, Edenred has reported that 17,000 schools had placed orders for the scheme as of Tuesday 12 May. Edenred has also reported that that over £101.5 million worth of voucher codes has been redeemed into supermarket eGift cards by schools and families through the scheme as of Friday 22 May.

The overall number and proportion of students who qualify for free school meals is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication and its underlying data files. As of the 2019 school census, there are around 1.3 million children eligible for and claiming free school meals. More recent figures are not yet available. The 2019 publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2019.

The responsibility for checking the eligibility of applicants for free school meals rests with the individual school. However, many schools will choose to work with local authorities to carry out these checks via our Eligibility Checking System. The department does not hold details of when applications are submitted locally for free school meals and we do not hold data on the time that may elapse between an application and the receipt of meals or vouchers. These arrangements are managed locally.

We have been working very closely with Edenred to improve the performance of the national voucher scheme, including in relation to the waiting times that parents and schools have experienced when accessing the system. We are very grateful to families and schools for their understanding and patience while this service has been upgraded to meet increased demand.

Under the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated with the EU, the UK will continue to participate fully in the current (2014-20) Erasmus+ programme.

This means that beneficiaries can continue to maintain relationships with international partners and that the projects that were successfully bid for during the current programmes will continue to receive EU funding for the full duration of the project. This includes projects where funding runs beyond 2020 and the end of the transition period.

We continue to work closely with the sector and the UK National Agency, which is responsible for the management and delivery of the programme across the UK, to support the UK’s participation under the current programme.

It is important that children are taught about the environment. During Key Stage 1 (5-7 year olds), pupils are taught about the seasons and habitats, including content about daily weather patterns in the UK. The Key Stage 2 (7 11-year olds) science curriculum further develops pupils’ understanding of the climate and habitats of plants and animals. They will also look at how environments can change, which can include the impact of human actions.

In Key Stage 3 science (11-14 year olds), pupils are taught about ecosystems, including how changes in the environment affect different species and the importance of maintaining biodiversity. They are also taught about the production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the effect this has on the climate. This is expanded on in Key Stage 4 science (14-16 year olds), where pupils will consider the evidence for anthropogenic causes of climate change. As part of Key Stage 3 geography, pupils will look at the causes, consequences of and responses to extreme weather conditions and natural weather hazards.

In 2017, the Department introduced a new environmental science A level. This will enable pupils to study topics that will support their understanding of climate change and how it can be tackled.

The Department is improving the quality of science teaching by funding high-quality professional development through the national network of 41 Science Learning Partnerships and Project Enthuse bursaries. We are also offering incentives to attract more science graduates into teaching, including bursaries of £26,000 and scholarships of £28,000 to attract top science graduates into teaching.

The Government is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Department encourages schools to limit their impact on the environment by taking a range of actions including minimising heat loss through improved insulation. The Department has a programme of capital investment in schools and will have spent £22 billion on new and improved school buildings between 2017 and 2021.

The Schools Buying Strategy was created to help schools with procurement to help ensure they get the best value for money. There are a wide range of recommended frameworks and support which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buying-for-schools. Advice on good estate management, including the Salix loan scheme can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools/information-training-and-tools.

Salix Finance Ltd. was established in 2004 as an independent, publicly funded company through which interest-free government funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Education, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government provides the public sector with loans for projects to improve energy, reduce bills and reduce carbon emissions. Schools can access Salix funding through three routes:

1) the Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme for maintained schools.[1]

2) Salix Energy Efficiency Fund for academies administered directly by Salix.[2]

3) through the DfE’s Condition Improvement Fund.[3]

[1] For maintained schools, information is available on gov.uk and promoted by the department at schools’ events and shows.

[2] The department promotes the Salix Energy Efficiency Fund on gov.uk and will notify academies via an email bulletin.

[3] For academies that are eligible to apply to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), the department alerts them by direct email and also publishes information on Salix in the CIF applicant guidance which we have promoted on gov.uk at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-improvement-fund.

The Government is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Department encourages schools to limit their impact on the environment by taking a range of actions including minimising heat loss through improved insulation. The Department has a programme of capital investment in schools and will have spent £22 billion on new and improved school buildings between 2017 and 2021.

The Schools Buying Strategy was created to help schools with procurement to help ensure they get the best value for money. There are a wide range of recommended frameworks and support which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buying-for-schools. Advice on good estate management, including the Salix loan scheme can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/good-estate-management-for-schools/information-training-and-tools.

Salix Finance Ltd. was established in 2004 as an independent, publicly funded company through which interest-free government funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Education, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government provides the public sector with loans for projects to improve energy, reduce bills and reduce carbon emissions. Schools can access Salix funding through three routes:

1) the Salix Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme for maintained schools.[1]

2) Salix Energy Efficiency Fund for academies administered directly by Salix.[2]

3) through the DfE’s Condition Improvement Fund.[3]

[1] For maintained schools, information is available on gov.uk and promoted by the department at schools’ events and shows.

[2] The department promotes the Salix Energy Efficiency Fund on gov.uk and will notify academies via an email bulletin.

[3] For academies that are eligible to apply to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), the department alerts them by direct email and also publishes information on Salix in the CIF applicant guidance which we have promoted on gov.uk at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/condition-improvement-fund.

The information requested is not held centrally as the department does not collect information on the nationalities of looked after children.

The information requested is not held centrally as the department does not collect information on the nationalities of looked after children.

The ongoing impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak have meant that there will be a shortfall in the numbers of workers who usually travel to the UK from Europe to work during the harvest season, with the demand for workers peaking from late May through the summer. We need to mobilise the British workforce to fill that gap and make sure our excellent fruit and vegetables are on people's plates over the summer months.

Farming leaders have already kick-started a recruitment drive for work on farms, with thousands of British people already expressing an interest in picking up seasonal agricultural work over the coming weeks and months. With many British workers furloughed from their jobs, and students having to put their summer plans on hold, the Government is supporting industry efforts to help farmers bring in this year’s harvest, working to build on these numbers.

The majority of roles for the early part of the harvest season have already been filled. We are closely monitoring the situation and we will shortly be launching a public- facing campaign to highlight the roles available from late May onwards and to encourage people to apply. The Government has confirmed that those who have been furloughed from their jobs due to coronavirus, and who are contractually allowed to work for another employer, can take on this seasonal work.

The Pick for Britain website is a recently launched joint Defra and industry initiative to support this effort. The website will act as a central hub to signpost people to the jobs available and to hold guidance and resources so growers, workers and industry can have a single place to go, available at https://pickforbritain.org.uk/. The website will also provide links to a wide range of recruitment campaigns organised by labour providers. The Pick for Britain website includes links to the Government's 'Find A Job' website, which will give access to a wide reach of potential applicants. The Find a Job website has more than 1.6 million registered users and is available here: https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/.

Our farmers are doing a fantastic job of feeding the nation during this challenging time. To help our farmers, industry Best Practice Guidance for employers of seasonal agricultural workers to avoid the spread of coronavirus has also now been published, which has been endorsed by Public Health England: https://ahdb.org.uk/coronavirus/social-distancing-farm-businesses.

The Government has well-established ways of working with the food industry during disruption to supply situations. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, we have intensified our discussions with the industry and together we are continuing to monitor the situation closely, taking the necessary steps to address issues wherever they arise.

Following a significant spike in consumer demand in early March, we have subsequently seen stock levels in supermarkets constantly and significantly improve. To support the food sector, the Government temporarily relaxed competition law and regulations relating to driver hours and delivery times so that the sector could work together to keep putting food on the shelves.

We welcome the actions that the industry is taking, including hiring more staff, and prioritising delivery slots and shopping times for those that need them most. We are grateful for the extensive support and positive collaboration that they have shown. We will continue this engagement with industry to keep food supply chains flowing and make sure people have the food and products they need.

The Government has well-established ways of working with the food industry during disruption to supply situations. Since the Covid-19 outbreak, we have intensified our discussions with the industry and together we are continuing to monitor the situation closely, taking the necessary steps to address issues wherever they arise.

Following a significant spike in consumer demand in early March, we have subsequently seen stock levels in supermarkets constantly and significantly improve. To support the food sector, the Government temporarily relaxed competition law and regulations relating to driver hours and delivery times so that the sector could work together to keep putting food on the shelves.

We welcome the actions that the industry is taking, including hiring more staff, and prioritising delivery slots and shopping times for those that need them most. We are grateful for the extensive support and positive collaboration that they have shown. We will continue this engagement with industry to keep food supply chains flowing and make sure people have the food and products they need.

The ongoing impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak have meant that there will be a shortfall in the numbers of workers who usually travel to the UK from Europe to work during the harvest season, with the demand for workers peaking from late May through the summer. We need to mobilise the British workforce to fill that gap and make sure our excellent fruit and vegetables are on people's plates over the summer months.

Farming leaders have already kick-started a recruitment drive for work on farms. With many British workers furloughed from their jobs, and students having to put their summer plans on hold, the Government is supporting industry efforts to help farmers bring in this year’s harvest, working to build on these numbers.

The majority of roles for the early part of the harvest season have already been filled. We are closely monitoring the situation and we will shortly be launching a public- facing campaign to highlight the roles available from late May onwards and to encourage people to apply. The Government has confirmed that those who have been furloughed from their jobs due to coronavirus, and who are contractually allowed to work for another employer, can take on this seasonal work.

The Pick for Britain website is a recently launched joint Defra and industry initiative to support this effort. The website will act as a central hub to signpost people to the jobs available and to hold guidance and resources so growers, workers and industry can have a single place to go, available at https://pickforbritain.org.uk/. The website will also provide links to a wide range of recruitment campaigns organised by labour providers. The Pick for Britain website includes links to the Government's 'Find A Job' website, which will give access to a wide reach of potential applicants. The Find a Job website has more than 1.6 million registered users and is available here: https://findajob.dwp.gov.uk/.

Our farmers are doing a fantastic job of feeding the nation during this challenging time. To help our farmers, industry Best Practice Guidance for employers of seasonal agricultural workers to avoid the spread of coronavirus has also now been published, which has been endorsed by Public Health England: https://ahdb.org.uk/coronavirus/social-distancing-farm-businesses.

The Government is aware of the challenges currently faced by garden centres and plant nurseries. We continue to work closely with representatives from the horticulture supply chain, including the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) to understand what short-term and long-term support the sector needs.

The Government is keeping the situation on Garden Centres under review, but concluded last week that it was too early to ease any restrictions on such retail environments. We will continue to work closely with the representatives from the horticulture supply chain to understand what short-term and long-term support the sector as a whole needs. We are ready to work with the industry to respond to emerging issues quickly and effectively.

The Government is aware of the challenges currently faced by garden centres and plant nurseries.

The Government is keeping the situation on garden centres under review, but concluded last week that it was too early to ease any restrictions on such retail environments. We will continue to work closely with the representatives from the horticulture supply chain to understand what short-term and long-term support the sector as a whole needs. We are ready to work with the industry to respond to emerging issues quickly and effectively.

On 17 March the Chancellor announced an unprecedented package of government support for businesses and the economy. As part of this, ornamental horticulture businesses are able to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

It is not for the UK Government to set retail food prices or comment on day-to-day commercial decisions. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has developed a timely indication of price change for high-demand products (HDP) covering the period 16 March to 5 April 2020. A weekly index is being produced for each of these items. In the most recently published release (week to 5 April) prices for food items in the HDP basket were 0.4% higher than the base period starting 16 March.

These are not national statistics and Government will also continue to monitor the monthly Consumer Prices Index including Housing Costs (CPIH) for food prices.

The Government is working with a number of local authorities to put in place the digital infrastructure to support Clean Air Zones. The vehicle compliance checker launched earlier this year, with the payment portal launching in the summer. This will enable users to check if they may be charged to drive in a zone.

Local authorities will be responsible for the enforcement of Clean Air Zones and the collection of any penalty payments arising.

The UK-wide Pollinator Monitoring Research Partnership was established with funding from Defra and the Scottish and Welsh Governments.

The total cost over the three-year project period from 2016 to 2019 was £282,720.

In-kind contributions from UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UK CEH) and other academic and voluntary organisations were also committed to the project, to a value of £201,804 (for example for staff time, data sharing, software). The monitoring work itself was co-ordinated by UK CEH.

A follow-up project is now underway, building on the outcomes from this first one. Further details are available on the GOV.UK website at:

http://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/

The Government is committed to bringing roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations within legal limits in the shortest possible time. That is why the Chancellor recently announced an additional £304 million to enable local authorities to take action to reduce nitrogen dioxide levels, including implementing clean air zones. This brings the total amount of funding committed to tackling NO₂ to £880 million.

The Government is committed to improving air quality in the UK and has provided £572 million to support the development and implementation of required measures by local authorities. This includes a Clean Air Fund that is aimed at mitigating the impact of local plans on individuals and businesses including sole traders.

We are mindful of the challenges of delivering a clean air plan across Greater Manchester and the need to support individuals and businesses that may be affected by the resulting charging Clean Air Zone (CAZ). We have provided at this stage a first tranche of £36 million towards implementing the CAZ and intend to provide further funding, both for implementation and for mitigating the impacts of the CAZ, from the Clean Air Fund, once we have a clearer picture of the scale of need based on our assessment of additional evidence being provided by Greater Manchester.

The UK has pledged £744 million to support the global humanitarian response to COVID-19, including the response in Gaza. We are providing additional vital support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by providing £840,000 to the World Health Organisation and UN Children’s Fund to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity.

The UN assesses that although the current number of detected cases remains relatively low, the capacity of the Palestinian health system to cope with an expected increase in COVID-19 cases is poor. The situation is particularly severe in Gaza, where the health system has shortages in specialised staff, drugs and equipment. We continue to monitor the situation and are working closely with the UN and the international community to ensure a co-ordinated and effective response.

The Department for International Development and the UK Embassy in Tehran are in close contact with partners in Iran, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), on the ongoing response in the country to COVID-19. The Iranian health system, like others around the world, has been put under significant pressure by the crisis, which is why we are working with the international community to ensure that Iran receives the humanitarian support it needs: The E3 (the UK, France and Germany) have provided a EUR 5 million package of financial and material assistance to Iran via the WHO and UN bodies to help with the response.

The Syria conflict has had a significant impact on neighbouring countries, including Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq. The UN estimates that since the conflict began in 2011, over 5.5 million Syrians have fled and taken refuge abroad.

The UK recognises the strain this has placed on these countries, and has committed £2.81 billion since the start of the Syria crisis to support both Syria and its neighbours. Our aid provides life-saving support to millions of Syrians, but also supports refugees to remain in countries in the region, whilst supporting these host communities to accommodate them.

Whilst we hope that Syrian refugees will, ultimately, be able to return home, we agree with the UN judgement that conditions in Syria do not currently allow this. It is essential that international law is respected, and that any refugee returns are safe, dignified and voluntary.

The UK is committed to respecting, promoting and protecting universal human rights. Human rights are inseparable from development and DFID works closely with the FCO to support its lead on human rights. DFID also works alongside the FCO to promote human rights, which is a core part of DFID’s aid and development strategy.

The UK is increasingly concerned by constraints on the international humanitarian response in Houthi-controlled areas of northern Yemen. In line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2451, we are calling on all parties to facilitate unhindered access for humanitarian actors and ensure that humanitarian workers are able to conduct their work safely and without harm.

Alongside this, Ministers and Officials continue to engage closely with the UN and other donors to ensure a coordinated approach to improve humanitarian access, that does not jeopardise progress on the peace process.

Education, particularly standing up for the right of every girl in the world to have 12 years of quality education, is a priority for the UK. In Yemen we are supporting education through two global funds: Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education.

Since 2017, Education Cannot Wait has committed over £13 million to Yemen, providing 1.3 million children with safe learning spaces, supporting 1.2 million students in preparing for and taking national exams, and making incentive payments to teachers whose salaries had not been paid for prolonged periods. The Global Partnership for Education has provided over £28.5 million to support education in Yemen since 2013, benefitting more than 400,000 children through improved schooling and teacher training, in particular focusing on ensuring girls have better access to education.

There were over 75,000 suspected cases of dengue fever in Yemen in 2019, following a sharp rise towards the end of last year.

The UK is providing support to international NGOs and UN agencies to improve access to health care for vulnerable Yemenis which will be vital to tackling the outbreak.

UK support includes a £96.5million commitment to UNICEF from 2018-2021 which has already provided 900,000 children with access to primary health care through health facilities, outreach services, and mobile health teams.

The UK is increasingly concerned by constraints on the international humanitarian response in Houthi-controlled areas of northern Yemen. In line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2451, we are calling on all parties to facilitate unhindered access for humanitarian actors and ensure that humanitarian workers are able to conduct their work safely and without harm.

Alongside this, Ministers and Officials continue to engage closely with the UN and other donors to ensure a coordinated approach to improve humanitarian access, that does not jeopardise progress on the peace process.

The decision to introduce enhanced border measures is in direct response to scientific and medical data, which represents an increased risk to UK public health and an increased risk of community transmission of the new COVID-19 variants identified in other countries. These are intended to be temporary measures and the government keeps data for countries and territories under constant review.

The government has made it consistently clear that it will take decisive action to contain the virus, including adding further countries to the red list if the public health risk of people returning from a particular country without self-isolating becomes too high.

There are an extremely limited number of exemptions from enhanced border measures, and only introduced where absolutely necessary for reasons of national importance. Exemptions from enhanced border measures are set out on Gov.uk and are kept under regular review.

The Department recognises that railcard holders have been unable to use their cards whilst travel restrictions are in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and railcard holders have not been able to benefit to the fullest extent over recent months. However, many passengers are able to recover the cost of their railcard in a single trip over the period of validity of their railcard.

Having carefully considered the situation, we are not discussing the prospects of offering refunds or extensions for railcard users with the Rail Delivery Group.

In October government agreed with the rail industry that, where a passenger with an Advance ticket is prevented from travelling due to changes to local or national restrictions, change of journey administration fees will be waived and, if they purchased their ticket directly from a train operator, they will be able to apply for a Rail Travel Voucher valid for 12 months. Independent rail retailers can use their discretion to offer a credit note if they have the ability to do so, or a fee-free change of journey.

On 24 November, government announced that Advance ticket change of journey fees will also be waived for students who need to rearrange travel to comply with the student travel window.

The government is clear that under current restrictions people should not leave their homes unless for a permitted purpose. Throughout the pandemic we have not regulated to restrict access to the public transport network as this could have an impact on the ability for people to travel when they need to, or for key workers to access employment. We are advising that the public follow safer travel guidance when they do travel.

Weekly data on transport use at a national level since the start of pandemic is available here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/transport-use-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic. However, it is not possible to break this national use down by all areas/regions due to sources of the data involved for near real-time reporting. Statistics on transport use by each mode in each area will be published in due course when the full data is available.

A response to your letter of 12 October was sent on 12 November.

The Government published its response to the 2019 Design Refinement Consultation of HS2 Phase 2b Western Leg on the 7^th October, in which I set out my decision on the location of the vent shaft. Notwithstanding this, if your constituents do wish to continue to engage regarding the vent shaft they can still do so directly with HS2 Ltd.

Since 2010, we have spent c£1.93bn on rebuilding London Bridge, Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars stations, as part of the Thameslink Programme. Ten new stations are being built (or significantly expanded) as part of the Crossrail Programme, in addition to a number of other stations that are being enhanced. The cost of Crossrail station improvement works to the taxpayer will be finalised when works are complete. In addition, c£144m has been spent on other station improvements in London through the National Station Improvement Programme, the Access for all Programme and the New Stations Fund. Other station renewals and enhancements have also been delivered – this is not a definitive list of all spend since 2010.

Since the introduction of the legal requirement to wear a face covering on public transport in England, we have seen high levels of compliance on the network. However, we recognise that not everyone will follow these rules. Enforcement officers will take steps to engage, explain, encourage and enable passengers to wear face coverings, subject to exemptions. My Department continues to work closely with transport operators, the police and Transport for London to consider the approach to enforcement. We have already introduced stricter penalties for those failing to comply with face covering regulations as we seek to curb the spread of the virus.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has refreshed the content of the theory driving test twice in the last two years. The Government is concerned the knowledge and understanding of driving theory for those candidates who passed the test more than two years ago would be out of date. This would present a clear road safety risk.

The aviation sector is important to the UK economy and the government recognises the challenging times facing the sector as a result of COVID-19. The Department for Transport has kept an open dialogue with the aviation sector through engagement at both ministerial and official levels.

The Department’s Expert Steering Group was established to bring together all interested parties to co-produce solutions to the issues facing the sector. The Group is best placed to identify and support what practical steps are required to restart the industry, as well as to consider what longer term steps are required to ensure the sector’s full recovery.

The UK has not placed restrictions on the transit and transfer of seafarers. I have previously written to UN organisations asking for an international solution to this issue, confirming the UK’s position on crew changes, and also urged other countries to allow crew changes to take placeMany of the recommendations found in the framework are already in place in the UK and we have already provided specific guidance to the maritime sector.

The mental and physical health of seafarers is an important issue. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has just published two complementary publications ‘Wellbeing at Sea: A guide for organisations’ and ‘Wellbeing at Sea: A pocket guide for seafarers’ to support organisations and individuals to prioritise wellbeing onboard. I welcome the framework that was issued by the IMO which seeks to address crew change issues that have emerged due to the pandemic and have had adverse impacts on the health and wellbeing of seafarers. I have previously written to UN organisations asking for an international solution to this issue, confirming the UK’s position on crew changes, and also urged other countries to allow crew changes to take place. DfT Officials have been working with the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and support the steps taken by the working group to aid the mental and physical health of seafarers.

In addition, Government guidance for operators and passengers has been updated to provide greater detail on how social distancing can be maintained in the maritime sector and customer-facing roles to reduce the risk to staff health whilst ensuring services keep running. Under the new PPE guidance, DfT officials are working with industry to ensure seafarers and passengers have adequate access to face masks prior to boarding vessels in order to protect their physical health.

The Department for Transport holds records of 1604 pieces of written correspondence received by the High Speed Rail and Major Projects Group from members of public since July 2019, when the Secretary of State for Transport took office. The content of those written representations could only be provided at disproportionate cost as each case would have to be opened and checked.

The Department’s correspondence handling system holds records of 7062 items of written correspondence received by the High Speed Rail and Major Projects Group since February 2016. The records management policy for the system is to hold records for the current year and previous three years. The number of items of correspondence for and against HS2 could only be provided at disproportionate cost as each case would have to be opened and checked.

Young people with a disability or health condition on Universal Credit who wished to take up the opportunity of a Kickstart job were able to discuss the roles they were interested in and if required, reasonable adjustments could be put into place to enable them to take up a Kickstart job. In October 2021, the decision was taken to extend the delivery of the Kickstart Scheme for an additional three months, to 31 March 2022, so that many more young people at risk of long-term unemployment (including those with disabilities) could benefit from the opportunities of the scheme. The final Kickstart job starts took place on 31 March 2022 and the last jobs will come to an end on 30 September 2022.

The Kickstart Scheme was introduced as part of the Government’s Plan for Jobs, a range of other support is available to provide support to job seekers of all ages, regardless of disadvantage or disability.

No assessment has been made.

Local Authorities have the power to establish local welfare provision in their area, using the funding they receive from the Local Government Finance Settlement. Local Authorities are responsible for determining how best to assess provision of any local welfare support.

We recognise, however, that some people require extra support with meeting essential household costs due to cost of living pressures, which is why the government is providing an additional £500 million to help households with the cost of essentials, on top of what we have already provided since October 2021, bringing the total funding for this support to £1 billion.

Local Authorities are responsible for designing and delivering the Household Support Fund in their area to best meet the needs of local people, in accordance with the overall scheme parameters.

No such assessment has been made. The Government is up-rating benefits in line with inflation. The Secretary of State undertakes an annual review of benefits and pensions with reference to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI). All benefit up-rating since April 1987 has been based on the increase in the relevant price inflation index in the 12 months to the previous September. The relevant benefits are increasing by 3.1% from April.

The latest statistics on the number and proportion of children who are in low income families by local area, covering the six years, 2014/15 to 2019/20, can be found in the annual publication: Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).

This Government is committed to reducing poverty and supporting low-income families, and believes work is the best route out of poverty. Our approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of parental employment – particularly where it is full-time – in substantially reducing the risks of child poverty and in improving long-term outcomes for families and children.

The DWP National Complaints Team have progressed both cases and a full response will be issued week commencing 10 January 2022.

The DWP National Complaints Team have progressed both cases and a full response will be issued week commencing 10 January 2022.

There are currently no plans to change the Cold Weather Payment scheme.

The Cold Weather Payment scheme helps vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits to meet the additional costs of heating for every week of severe cold weather, between 1 November and 31 March each year. A payment of £25 is made when the average temperature is recorded as, or forecast to be, 0 degrees C or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible person’s postcode. It is paid automatically within 14 working days of a trigger to ensure claimants receive payments at the time of need. £98.8 million was paid out in Cold Weather Payments between 1 November 2020 and 31 March 2021.

We spend over £129bn on benefits for pensioners in GB - 5.7% of GDP. This figure has never been higher. This includes spending on the State Pension which is forecast to be over £105bn in this financial year.

Pension Credit provides invaluable financial support for vulnerable pensioners. Around 1.4 million eligible pensioners across Great Britain receive some £5bn in Pension Credit, which tops up their retirement income and is a passport to other financial help such as support with housing costs, council tax, heating bills and a free TV licence for those over 75.

We will continue to support pensioners by making payments of £200 to those households with someone of state pension age and under 80 and £300 to those households with someone aged 80 or over. This winter we will make over 11m winter fuel payments at a cost of £2bn which represents a significant contribution to winter fuel bills.

Cold Weather Payments are also available and help vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits to meet additional heating costs, during periods of unseasonably cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. This includes older people in receipt of Pension Credit. Those eligible will continue to automatically receive £25 when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days.

In addition, The Warm Home Discount Scheme operated by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ensures that those in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit receive a rebate of £140 on their energy bill. There is also the energy price cap which will continue to protect millions of customers this winter. Despite the rising costs of wholesale energy, the cap still saves 15 million households up to £100 a year.

This winter we recognise that some people continue to require extra support, which is why we have introduced a £421 million Household Support Fund to help vulnerable people in England with essential household costs over the winter as the economy recovers. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving £79 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.

This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, and continue to do so through many measures, including by spending over £110 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2021/22.

With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, our focus now is on continuing to support people into and to progress in work. Our multi-billion-pound Plan for Jobs, which has recently been expanded by £500 million, will help people across the UK to find work and to boost their wages and prospects.

Universal Credit recipients in work will soon benefit from a reduction in the Universal Credit taper rate from 63% to 55%, and increasing the work allowance by £500 per year means that 1.9m working households will be able to keep substantially more of what they earn. These measures effectively represent a tax cut, worth around £2.2bn a year in 2022-23, for the lowest paid in society, and are combined with a rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour.

We recognise that some people may require extra support over the winter as we enter the final stages of recovery, which is why vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a new £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. Manchester will receive £6,453,163.20 from the fund.

The Government is committed to the winter fuel payment and we will continue to support pensioners by making payments of £200 to those households with someone of state pension age and under 80 and £300 to those households with someone aged 80 or over. This winter we will make over 11m winter fuel payments at a cost of £2bn a significant contribution to winter fuel bills.

Cold Weather Payments are also available and help vulnerable people in receipt of certain income-related benefits to meet additional heating costs, during periods of unseasonably cold weather between 1 November and 31 March. This includes older people in receipt of Pension Credit. Those eligible will continue to automatically receive £25 when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0°C or below over seven consecutive days.

In addition, the Warm Home Discount Scheme operated by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, ensures that those in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee receive a rebate of £140 on their energy bill. There is also the energy price cap which will continue to protect millions of customers this winter. Despite the rising costs of wholesale energy, the cap still saves 15 million households up to £100 a year.

Vulnerable households across the country will now be able to access a £500 million support fund to help them with essentials. The Household Support Fund will provide £421 million to help vulnerable people in England with the cost of food, utilities and wider essentials. The Barnett Formula will apply in the usual way, with the devolved administrations receiving almost £80 million (£41m for the Scottish Government, £25m for the Welsh Government and £14m for the NI Executive), for a total of £500 million.

Local Authorities in England have discretion to design their own bespoke local schemes, within the overall parameters of the Household Support Fund, with help primarily focused on food and utility bills. Up to 50% of the fund is available for councils to use on households without children. Local Authorities will use their resources to identify vulnerable households who are in most need in their area and can apply their own discretion to eligibility and the size of the award. This funding covers the period 06 October 2021 to 31 March 2022 inclusive. There are no plans to increase the funding provided.

The Department has undertaken a thorough check of the correspondence tracking system and have no record of the correspondence of 1 October. We have contacted the Member's constituency office for further information.

All those brought to the UK under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) have the right to work, access to education and healthcare and recourse to public funds including benefit support.

The Department for Work and Pensions has legislated to exempt those arriving in the UK under the ARAP and ACRS from the habitual residence test for income-related benefits, and the past presence test and the habitual residence test for disability and carer benefits.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/1034/made

Further information can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/support-for-those-arriving-from-afghanistan

A Department for Work and Pensions Complaint Resolution Manager has spoken with Mr David Foulkes on 9 July 2021 confirming his State Pension claim has been finalised and arrears issued the same day. A full response has also been provided to the Hon. Member to confirm the position.

Looking at the impact on poverty of an individual policy is complex and inherently speculative as it requires projecting how incomes will change for every individual in society which are affected by a huge range of unknown factors.

To monitor poverty for different groups the Department publishes the Households Below Average Incomes (HBAI) publication which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2020

Data at constituency level is unavailable in this publication due to insufficient sample size.

This Government is wholly committed to tackling poverty. Throughout the pandemic, our priority has been to support the most vulnerable including through spending an additional £7.4billion to strengthen the welfare system, taking our total expenditure on welfare support for people of working age to an estimated £112 billion in 2020/21. Additionally, in December 2020 we introduced our Covid Winter Grant Scheme, providing funding to Local Authorities in England to enable them to support people with food and essential utility bills during the coldest months. It will now run until June as the Covid Local Support Grant, with a total investment of £269m.

National Statistics on the number and percentage of children in low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication. Data for Manchester Gorton is unavailable due to insufficient sample size.

Latest statistics for the levels of children who are in low income in England, covering 2019/20, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/households-below-average-income-for-financial-years-ending-1995-to-2020,“children-hbai-timeseries-1994-95-2019-20-tables” in table 4.16ts (relative low income, before and after housing costs) and in table 4.22ts (absolute low income, before and after housing costs).

In the three years to 2019/20, the absolute child poverty rate, before housing costs, in England was 18%, down 3 percentage points since the three years to 2009/10

The Department now publishes supplementary official statistics on the number of children in low income families at constituency level. Children in Low Income Families data is published annually.

The latest figures on the number of children who are in low income in Manchester Gorton and in England, covering 2019/20, can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics-2014-to-2020/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics-fye-2015-to-fye-2020.

Due to methodological differences, the figures in these two publications are not comparable

No assessment has been made.

This Government is wholly committed to supporting those on low incomes, including by increasing the living wage, and by spending an estimated £112 billion on welfare support for people of working age in 2020/21. This included around £7.4 billion of Covid-related welfare policy measures.

We introduced our Covid Winter Grant Scheme providing funding to Local Authorities in England to help the most vulnerable children and families stay warm and well fed during the coldest months. It will now run until June as the Covid Local Support Grant, with a total investment of £269m.

As the economy recovers, our ambition is to help people move into and progress in work as quickly as possible based on clear evidence around the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. We are investing over £30 billion in our ambitious Plan for Jobs which is already delivering for people of all ages right across the country.

The Government recognises the great importance of the effective and timely handling of correspondence.

The Cabinet Office is currently compiling data on the timeliness of responses to Hon. and Rt Hon. members from Government Departments and Agencies. This data will be released, and made available to Members, in due course.

A number of organisations have made public recommendations for government to reduce the qualifying period including Centre for Policy Studies, Joseph Roundtree Foundation, Affordable Housing Commission, The Resolution Foundation, UK Finance and the Building Societies Association.

The Department currently has no plans to amend the qualifying period for Support for Mortgage Interest.

There has been no such assessment.

In April 2020 Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were increased to the 30^th percentile of local market rents. This significant investment of almost £1 billion has provided 1.5 million claimants with around £600 more housing support per year than they would otherwise have received. In 2021/22 all LHA rates will be maintained at their increased level, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector will continue to benefit from the significant increase in the rates applied this year.

For those who require additional support with housing costs Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. Since 2011 we have provided over £1 billion in DHP funding.

There has been no such assessment.

In April 2020 Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates were increased to the 30^th percentile of local market rents. This significant investment of almost £1 billion has provided 1.5 million claimants with around £600 more housing support per year than they would otherwise have received. In 2021/22 all LHA rates will be maintained at their increased level, meaning claimants renting in the private rented sector will continue to benefit from the significant increase in the rates applied this year.

For those who require additional support with housing costs Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) are available. Since 2011 we have provided over £1 billion in DHP funding.

Due to the risk of personal data being compromised through email, this service is restricted to general enquiries, however it is available as a reasonable adjustment on request.

For claimants with a disability or health condition who require email as they need information to be provided in an alternative format we can accept the security risk and allow use of email.

Once a customer has submitted an appeal to Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) the customer engages with HMCTS from this point to provide information and evidence relevant to their PIP appeal. In most PIP appeal cases, additional evidence provided is then digitally shared with DWP as a party to the appeal, therefore an email address is not necessary.

Claimants can contact DWP with general enquiries through various routes, including by phone or by email via GOV.UK.

We also have an alternative option for British Sign Language users who can use the Video Relay Service to communicate with DWP.

In addition, there is an online Journal for Universal Credit claimants and a self-service portal for Child Maintenance Service clients.

You can apply for and start work without a National Insurance number if you can prove you can work in the UK. Employers are required to conduct mandatory Right to Work checks on all prospective employees. Having a NINo is not part of these checks, and the possession of a NINo does not prove that an individual has a right to work.

As part of the application process for a National Insurance Number, BN(O) holders would be required to attend a face to face appointment where the DWP could validate and confirm their Identity and Right to Work. Due to Covid, the face to face NINo service is currently suspended.

DWP have worked closely with HMRC to enable them to issue revised guidance to employers regarding the continued suspension of the NINo service, which reiterates that they are able to employ individuals who do not have a NINo.

An individual does not need a National Insurance Number (NINo) to apply for, or take up employment. They evidence their right to work in the UK by providing their status within the UK, through either Home Office documentation, for example a Biometric Residence Permit, Passport or National Identity card to prospective employers.

All employers are required to conduct mandatory Right to Work checks on all prospective employees, however these checks do not include the provision of a NINo. A list of acceptable documents that enables an individual to demonstrate they have the right work is set out on Gov.uk in the Employers Guide to Right to Work Checks.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide

The possession of a NINo does not prove to an employer that the employee has a right to work.

The National Insurance Number allocation service (NINo) has continued to offer a service, throughout the pandemic, to our most vulnerable customer groups (Benefit Applicants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees) Students who are entitled to Student Finance and in June we resumed our service for visa applicants.

DWP started testing a partial digital solution, on a small scale, in mid-October, to support the issuing of National Insurance Numbers, which is still ongoing. This solution enables collection of the applicant’s data, but not the online verification of their identity. Alternative identity verification solutions to reduce the need for a face to face identity check for some customer groups is under development as part of this test.

The digital solution will be considered by the Government Data Service (GDS) for its ability to move into Public Beta and thereby deliver a service to a greater number of customers early next year.

Given the uncertainty of COVID-19 restrictions impacting upon DWPs ability to offer an interview service to some customers who will still be required to attend an office to confirm their Identity, it is not possible at this time to provide you with a firm date as to when DWP are able to resume their full service.

DWP and Home Office officials continue to review and assess the best way to support BN(O)s seeking national insurance numbers upon entry to the UK. As it stands a BN(O) holder would be required to attend a face to face appointment where the DWP could validate and confirm their Identity and Right to Work. Due to Covid, the face to face NINo service is currently suspended.

You can apply for and start work without a National Insurance number if you can prove you can work in the UK. Employers are required to conduct mandatory Right to Work checks on all prospective employees. Having a NINo is not part of these checks, and the possession of a NINo does not prove that an individual has a right to work.

The information requested is not available. On 29^th October 2020 the Department for Work and Pensions published the report “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2018 to 2019”. This provided figures on the value of some unclaimed benefits in Great Britain. Estimates are not available for other DWP benefits, including Sure Start Maternity Grant and Universal Credit, and sub-national figures are not published because of small sample sizes.

The information requested is not available. On 29^th October 2020 the Department for Work and Pensions published the report “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2018 to 2019”. This provided figures on the value of some unclaimed benefits in Great Britain. Estimates are not available for other DWP benefits, including Sure Start Maternity Grant and Universal Credit, and sub-national figures are not published because of small sample sizes.

The information requested is not available. On 29^th October 2020 the Department for Work and Pensions published the report “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2018 to 2019”. This provided figures on the value of some unclaimed benefits in Great Britain. Estimates are not available for other DWP benefits, including Sure Start Maternity Grant and Universal Credit, and sub-national figures are not published because of small sample sizes.

The information requested is not available. On 29^th October 2020 the Department for Work and Pensions published the report “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2018 to 2019”. This provided figures on the value of some unclaimed benefits in Great Britain. Estimates are not available for other DWP benefits, including Sure Start Maternity Grant and Universal Credit, and sub-national figures are not published because of small sample sizes.

The information requested is not available. On 29^th October 2020 the Department for Work and Pensions published the report “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2018 to 2019”. This provided figures on the value of some unclaimed benefits in Great Britain. Estimates are not available for other DWP benefits, including Sure Start Maternity Grant and Universal Credit, and sub-national figures are not published because of small sample sizes.

The information requested is not available. On 29^th October 2020 the Department for Work and Pensions published the report “Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: financial year 2018 to 2019”. This provided figures on the value of some unclaimed benefits in Great Britain. Estimates are not available for other DWP benefits, including Sure Start Maternity Grant and Universal Credit, and sub-national figures are not published because of small sample sizes.

There are no plans to make an assessment.

We have never spent more as a country on welfare support than we do now.

The Government has strengthened the safety net to provide financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is committed to providing financial support for people at every stage of their life, including when they near or reach retirement.

The welfare system will continue to provide support to those who are unable to work or who are on a low income but who are not eligible to pensioner benefits because of their age.

We have invested in a significant new programme, the Plan for Jobs, to help people of all ages who may be made redundant find work and acquire the skills they need to return to work.

No assessment has been made.

Our priority throughout this health emergency continues to be to protect the public and our assessment providers’ staff, while ensuring people get the benefits they are entitled to quickly and safely. Face-to-face assessments remain suspended while we review what activity we can gradually start reintroducing in line with the latest public health advice. We will confirm next steps as soon as possible.

In the meantime, for claimants with the most serious or terminal conditions, claims continue to be processed and decisions made as normal. We are actively considering how to deal with those cases not currently being processed.

Our priority throughout this health emergency continues to be to protect the public and our assessment providers’ staff, while ensuring people get the benefits they are entitled to quickly and safely. Face-to-face assessments remain suspended while we review what activity we can gradually start reintroducing in line with the latest public health advice. We will confirm next steps as soon as possible.

In the meantime, for claimants with the most serious or terminal conditions, claims continue to be processed and decisions made as normal. We are actively considering how to deal with those cases not currently being processed.

The Department cannot precisely quantify the proportion of households by ethnic group that are affected by the benefit cap since recording of ethnicity on benefits administrative data is voluntary and, as such, not sufficiently reliable.

However, the 2016 published Impact Assessment of the benefit cap can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-reform-and-work-act-impact-assessment-for-the-benefit-cap

This Government has a strong safety net that helps people who are facing hardship and are unable to support themselves financially. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) provides a minimum level of income for employees when they are off work sick. It is paid in full by employers who may also decide to pay more than the statutory minimum through Occupational Sick Pay. SSP is just part of our welfare safety net and our wider government offer to support people in times of need.

Where an individual’s income is reduced while off work sick and they require further financial support, they may be able to claim Universal Credit and new style Employment and Support Allowance, depending on their personal circumstances. Many of those on low incomes are already in receipt of benefits. For those on Universal Credit, their award will rise if their income falls.

There has been no such assessment.

We increased Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30^th percentile of local rents, providing additional financial support for private renters in response to calls from homelessness charities. This significant investment of almost £1 billion ensures over 1 million households will see an increase, on average, of £600 per year.

For renters whose circumstances mean they may require more support, Discretionary Housing Payments are also available. We have already provided £180m in Discretionary Housing Payment funding to local authorities to support vulnerable claimants with housing costs in the private and social rented sector in England and Wales for 2020/21. This includes an extra £40m announced at the spending round.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I provided to Question 7121 and 7122 on 28 January 2020 –

https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2020-01-23/7121/