Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of levels of demand in schools for free school meals.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Under existing programmes, the department provides free school meals (FSM) to around 2.1 million disadvantaged pupils in schools, just under 1.3 million infants through Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM), and over 90,000 low-income students in further education (FE). More than £1.5 billion is allocated in support of these programmes.
Schools are funded for benefits-related FSM at £490 per eligible pupil per year as a factor value within the national funding formula. Total funding driven by the FSM factor in 2024/25 is £917 million.
UIFSM and FE free meals are funded through a direct grant to schools and colleges. The current per meal rate is £2.53 in the 2024/25 academic year. Final funding rates for UIFSM in 2024/25 will be confirmed in due course.
As with all government programmes the department will keep its approach to FSM, including levels of demand and funding to deliver this, under continued review.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on recruitment and retention of excluding teaching staff at non-academised sixth-form colleges from the recent pay award in financial year 2024-25.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The recent pay award for the 2024/25 financial year was for school teachers only. The government does not set or recommend pay in further education (FE).
This government recognises the vital role that FE teachers and providers play in equipping learners with the opportunities and skills that they need to succeed in their education and will consider workforce sufficiency and what this might mean for FE funding in future years.
The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the government’s commitment to skills, by providing an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills this country needs. The department will set out in due course how this funding will be distributed.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has for the funding rates for free school meals.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Under existing programmes, the department provides free school meals (FSM) to around 2.1 million disadvantaged pupils in schools, just under 1.3 million infants through Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM), and over 90,000 low-income students in further education (FE). More than £1.5 billion is allocated in support of these programmes.
Schools are funded for benefits-related FSM at £490 per eligible pupil per year as a factor value within the national funding formula. Total funding driven by the FSM factor in 2024/25 is £917 million.
UIFSM and FE free meals are funded through a direct grant to schools and colleges. The current per meal rate is £2.53 in the 2024/25 academic year. Final funding rates for UIFSM in 2024/25 will be confirmed in due course.
As with all government programmes the department will keep its approach to FSM, including levels of demand and funding to deliver this, under continued review.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, further to the Answer of 31 July 2024 to Question 764, when he plans to make a further announcement on the Children's Hospice Grant.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While 2023/24 marked the final year of the Children’s Hospice Grant in its previous format, in 2024/25, NHS England provided £25 million of funding for children and young people’s hospices, maintaining the level of funding from 2023/24. For the first time, this funding was distributed to hospices by integrated care boards (ICBs), on behalf of NHS England, rather than being centrally administered as before.
The Department and NHS England are aware that the shift to ICB distributed funding in 2024/25 has not been as smooth a transition as we would have hoped. However, we are working closely with NHS England to resolve any remaining issues with the 2024/25 funding. Furthermore, I am working very closely with NHS England to get the funding arrangements for 2025/26 confirmed as a matter of urgency.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will revert to central grant funding from NHS England for children's hospices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
While 2023/24 marked the final year of the Children’s Hospice Grant in its previous format, in 2024/25, NHS England provided £25 million of funding for children and young people’s hospices, maintaining the level of funding from 2023/24. For the first time, this funding was distributed to hospices by integrated care boards (ICBs), on behalf of NHS England, rather than being centrally administered as before.
The Department and NHS England are aware that the shift to ICB distributed funding in 2024/25 has not been as smooth a transition as we would have hoped. However, we are working closely with NHS England to resolve any remaining issues with the 2024/25 funding. Furthermore, I am working very closely with NHS England to get the funding arrangements for 2025/26 confirmed as a matter of urgency.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 4.10 of the Autumn Budget 2024, for what reason the launch date of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement has been revised.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to delivering the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), expanding access to high quality, flexible education and training for adults throughout their working lives, helping businesses to fill skills gaps and kickstart economic growth.
The LLE will now launch in the 2026/27 academic year for learners studying courses starting on or after 1 January 2027, including full courses, modules and Higher Technical Qualifications.
This is in order to:
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of the costs of (a) VAT, (b) employers' National Insurance contributions, (c) employer contributions to the Teachers' Pension Scheme and (d) business rates for independent schools on the number of children educated in the (i) independent and (ii) state sectors.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes when the policy is final or near final. TIINs give a clear explanation of the policy objective together with comprehensive assessment of the impacts on individuals and families, businesses and the wider economy, equalities impacts, and any other specific area of impact. TIINs look at the impacts of changes to the tax system separately for each measure.
A TIIN assessing the impacts of applying VAT to private school fees has been published online and can be found here: Private school fees — VAT measure - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Details of the changes to business rates charitable rate relief and changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) were outlined at Budget. Notes on the general impacts of these measures will be published in due course alongside the respective legislation when it is introduced to Parliament.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions on (a) cost pressures for independent schools and (b) the number of children leaving the independent school sector; and whether the figures included in HM Revenue & Customs policy paper entitled, Applying VAT to private school fees, published on 30 October 2024, took account of proposed increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes when the policy is final or near final. TIINs give a clear explanation of the policy objective together with comprehensive assessment of the impacts on individuals and families, businesses and the wider economy, equalities impacts, and any other specific area of impact. TIINs look at the impacts of changes to the tax system separately for each measure.
A TIIN assessing the impacts of applying VAT to private school fees has been published online and can be found here: Private school fees — VAT measure - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Details of the changes to business rates charitable rate relief and changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) were outlined at Budget. Notes on the general impacts of these measures will be published in due course alongside the respective legislation when it is introduced to Parliament.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make a comparative estimate of the average cost of (a) VAT, (b) employers' National Insurance contributions, (c) contributions to the Teachers' Pensions Scheme and (d) business rates for independent schools that are (i) liable for business rates for the first time and (ii) already liable for business rates (A) before and (B) after the Autumn Budget 2024.
Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government publishes Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) for tax policy changes when the policy is final or near final. TIINs give a clear explanation of the policy objective together with comprehensive assessment of the impacts on individuals and families, businesses and the wider economy, equalities impacts, and any other specific area of impact. TIINs look at the impacts of changes to the tax system separately for each measure.
A TIIN assessing the impacts of applying VAT to private school fees has been published online and can be found here: Private school fees — VAT measure - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Details of the changes to business rates charitable rate relief and changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) were outlined at Budget. Notes on the general impacts of these measures will be published in due course alongside the respective legislation when it is introduced to Parliament.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer national insurance contributions on SEND cost pressures.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
At Budget, HM Treasury confirmed that all public sector organisations will be funded for the increase in employer contributions to national insurance in 2025/26. This will include funding for schools.
The department anticipates providing this funding to schools, including with regard to special educational needs and disabilities, funding for special schools, and alternative provision. This will be through an additional grant in 2025/26. The department will provide more information on this, including funding rates and allocations, as soon as practicable.