Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the number of families expected to receive 30 hours of free childcare in Lincolnshire in 2025.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is our ambition that all families have access to high-quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change. We are delivering more support to working families than ever before with the rollout of 30 hours government-funded childcare.
The department does not hold data on estimates of the numbers of families expected to benefit by area.
However, the department does collect data on eligibility codes, which show the number of children who have benefitted by local authority level. This information can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/expansion-to-early-childcare-entitlements-eligibility-codes-issued-and-validated/2025-may. In the spring 2025 term, 7,193 codes were issued to parents in Lincolnshire and 6,620 (92%) of these were validated via childcare providers.
This data was published on 12 May 2025. This data is being updated periodically in response to the 30 hours rollout.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many days the Union Flag was flown on her Department's main sites in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The Union Flag is flown every day at the department headquarters in London. This is the only department building with a flagpole.
This is in accordance with the Union Flag flying guidance for UK government buildings: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/designated-days-for-union-flag-flying.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to remove asbestos from schools in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings to the answer of 4 September 2025 of Question 70188.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has spent money on social media influencers since July 2024.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has spent money on social media influencers since July 2024. Influencers can be effective in reaching audiences that the government and traditional marketing channels find hard to reach.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools are taking part in the Early Language Support for Every Child programme in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) pathfinder programme, co-led by the department and NHS England, is a test and learn programme trialling new approaches to support earlier identification, intervention and targeted support for children with speech, language and communication needs, helping them thrive in mainstream settings and ensuring every child has the best possible start in life.
Nationally, therapy support teams have reached over 20,000 children and over 3,000 staff members have been upskilled to deliver interventions since the programme began.
The programme is being delivered through nine regional ELSEC pathfinder sites, each comprising a mix of early years and primary school settings. In the East Midlands, Leicestershire, Leicester City and Rutland are the designated pathfinder local areas and therefore there are no schools within South Holland and The Deepings involved in ELSEC.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of teaching of the works of William Shakespeare in secondary schools in England.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The national curriculum for English aims to ensure an appreciate of our rich and varied literary heritage. It encourages pupils to read a range of books, poems, and plays to foster the development of a lifelong love of literature.
Maintained schools must follow the English programmes of study, and once passed, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will extend this requirement to academies.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the level of teaching of the canon of English literature in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The national curriculum for English aims to ensure an appreciate of our rich and varied literary heritage. It encourages pupils to read a range of books, poems, and plays to foster the development of a lifelong love of literature.
Maintained schools must follow the English programmes of study, and once passed, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will extend this requirement to academies.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much Ofsted has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years.
Answered by Janet Daby
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much Ofqual has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years.
Answered by Janet Daby
This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked its Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham, to write to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much the Teaching Regulation Agency has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years.
Answered by Janet Daby
The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) adheres to the departmental policy of providing workplace adjustments where appropriate. The cost of providing equipment for use at home to facilitate workplace adjustments for TRA staff is shown below:
Financial Year | Cost |
2022/23 | £0 |
2023/24 | £0 |
2024/25 | £316.99 |
Heads of departments have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service.