Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of trends in (a) recruitment and (b) retention of school support staff in (i) Birmingham and (ii) England in the last five years.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The full-time equivalent (FTE) of support staff has increased each year since the 2019/20 academic year, to 510,400 in 2023/24, and has now passed the previous peak of 2015/16. This is an increase of 4,800 (0.9%) since last year. This increase is mainly due to the addition of 2,400 in other support staff.
Support staff are categorised into posts of teaching assistants, administrative staff, auxiliary staff, technicians and other supporting staff, plus two new posts of school business professional and leadership non-teacher reported for the first time in 2023/24.
School business professionals include roles such as bursar, business manager, finance officer, office manager, premises manager or ICT network manager.
Data relating to the FTE of all support staff can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7b0a17e8-b3ff-403e-687f-08dca70c1109.
Equivalent data relating to Birmingham’s parliamentary constituencies can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0fb9acee-35f2-4607-fac3-08dca70cb6e4.
School support staff play a vital role in children’s education and development. The department values and recognises the professionalism of the entire school workforce and will address recruitment and retention challenges by reinstating the School Support Staff Negotiating Body.
This body will be tasked with establishing a national terms and conditions handbook, training and progression routes, ensuring that schools can recruit and retain the staff needed to deliver high quality, inclusive education.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children who were not in school there were in Birmingham who (a) held an Education, Health and Care Plan and (b) had previously been identified in the SEN Support category by their school in each of the last five years.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes statistics on education, health and care (EHC) plans at local authority level. This data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans. This includes information on children elsewhere than at school, such as those awaiting provision, in elective home education, in other arrangements, permanently excluded, and having notice to cease of their plan, as well as those Not in Education, Employment of Training (NEET). The number of children with an EHC plan who were elsewhere than at school and who were NEET in Birmingham from 2020 to 2024 can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/fffc2c6e-ef02-4be1-689a-08dca70c1109.
The data collection on children and young people with EHC plans does not include information on previous special educational needs (SEN) support identification.
Wider data on SEN, including information on the total number of pupils with EHC plans and SEN support at local authority level is available on GOV.UK, and can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to make a final investment decision on the proposed construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power station.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
We are committed to Sizewell C. New nuclear will play an important role in the Government’s vision for achieving energy independence, lowering consumers’ bills, and securing thousands of good, skilled jobs.
The Sizewell C project has recently received its Nuclear Site Licence and commenced its Development Consent Order. Work continues at pace to secure a final investment decision.
The Government will continue to update the House as project development continues.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Sure Start centres closed in Birmingham since May 2010; and what the (a) name and (b) postcode was of each centre.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Data on children’s centres is supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools database portal. This portal can be found here: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
Based on the information supplied by Birmingham local authority, the attached document provides details of the name and postcode of Sure Start children’s centres that closed in Birmingham since May 2010. This is based on information supplied by Birmingham local authority as of 18 July 2024. These figures may be different to previous answers and could change again in the future, since local authorities may update the database at any time.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS sites have closed in Birmingham since May 2010; and what the (a) name and (b) postcode was of each site.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department does not collect data on the closure of National Health Service sites. The NHS, however, publishes the annual Estates Returns Information Collection, which is a mandatory collection for all NHS trusts and includes detailed information on all operational or temporarily unoccupied sites larger than 500m2 or with 10 or more inpatient beds, including site name and postcode. The collection is available at the following link:
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement published on 5 February 2024, HCWS241, on Local Government Finance Update, whether her Department carried out impact analyses on allowing Birmingham City Council flexibility to increase council tax bills by an additional 5 per cent.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In line with the practice of successive administrations, detailed minutes of ministerial meetings - even those that are declared publicly - are not normally disclosed.
The first formal report from Birmingham City Council Commissioners, which was submitted to the former Secretary of State on 26 April this year, will be published on gov.uk as soon as practicable. That report was submitted six months after the start of the intervention, in line with the expectations placed on Commissioners on their appointment. I have met the Leader of Birmingham City Council and I am due to meet with the Commissioners this week. I would be happy to meet with all MPs whose constituencies are within the area of the Council.
The department and former Ministers were notified of the decision by the then Section 151 Officer at Birmingham City Council to issue a Section 114 report on 5 September 2023, the day it was made and published by the Council. The Council has provided the Department with their estimate of the equal pay liability, including as part of their request for additional financial support in February 2024. That estimate is £867 million. In line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, an equalities analysis was carried out in relation to requests from councils for additional flexibility to increase council tax for 2024/25.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled Birmingham City Council: Statutory intervention update letter from Commissioners, published on 22 February 2024, whether those commissioners have submitted further updates to her Department subsequent to that letter.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In line with the practice of successive administrations, detailed minutes of ministerial meetings - even those that are declared publicly - are not normally disclosed.
The first formal report from Birmingham City Council Commissioners, which was submitted to the former Secretary of State on 26 April this year, will be published on gov.uk as soon as practicable. That report was submitted six months after the start of the intervention, in line with the expectations placed on Commissioners on their appointment. I have met the Leader of Birmingham City Council and I am due to meet with the Commissioners this week. I would be happy to meet with all MPs whose constituencies are within the area of the Council.
The department and former Ministers were notified of the decision by the then Section 151 Officer at Birmingham City Council to issue a Section 114 report on 5 September 2023, the day it was made and published by the Council. The Council has provided the Department with their estimate of the equal pay liability, including as part of their request for additional financial support in February 2024. That estimate is £867 million. In line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, an equalities analysis was carried out in relation to requests from councils for additional flexibility to increase council tax for 2024/25.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the notice issued by Birmingham City Council on 05 September 2023 under Section 114(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988, on what date (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department were first informed that this notice would be issued.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In line with the practice of successive administrations, detailed minutes of ministerial meetings - even those that are declared publicly - are not normally disclosed.
The first formal report from Birmingham City Council Commissioners, which was submitted to the former Secretary of State on 26 April this year, will be published on gov.uk as soon as practicable. That report was submitted six months after the start of the intervention, in line with the expectations placed on Commissioners on their appointment. I have met the Leader of Birmingham City Council and I am due to meet with the Commissioners this week. I would be happy to meet with all MPs whose constituencies are within the area of the Council.
The department and former Ministers were notified of the decision by the then Section 151 Officer at Birmingham City Council to issue a Section 114 report on 5 September 2023, the day it was made and published by the Council. The Council has provided the Department with their estimate of the equal pay liability, including as part of their request for additional financial support in February 2024. That estimate is £867 million. In line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, an equalities analysis was carried out in relation to requests from councils for additional flexibility to increase council tax for 2024/25.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled DLUHC: ministerial meetings, July to September 2023, published on 14 December 2023, if she will publish the minutes of the meetings held on 14 September 2023 with (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) Max Caller.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In line with the practice of successive administrations, detailed minutes of ministerial meetings - even those that are declared publicly - are not normally disclosed.
The first formal report from Birmingham City Council Commissioners, which was submitted to the former Secretary of State on 26 April this year, will be published on gov.uk as soon as practicable. That report was submitted six months after the start of the intervention, in line with the expectations placed on Commissioners on their appointment. I have met the Leader of Birmingham City Council and I am due to meet with the Commissioners this week. I would be happy to meet with all MPs whose constituencies are within the area of the Council.
The department and former Ministers were notified of the decision by the then Section 151 Officer at Birmingham City Council to issue a Section 114 report on 5 September 2023, the day it was made and published by the Council. The Council has provided the Department with their estimate of the equal pay liability, including as part of their request for additional financial support in February 2024. That estimate is £867 million. In line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, an equalities analysis was carried out in relation to requests from councils for additional flexibility to increase council tax for 2024/25.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made a recent estimate of the value of the equal pay liability at Birmingham City Council.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In line with the practice of successive administrations, detailed minutes of ministerial meetings - even those that are declared publicly - are not normally disclosed.
The first formal report from Birmingham City Council Commissioners, which was submitted to the former Secretary of State on 26 April this year, will be published on gov.uk as soon as practicable. That report was submitted six months after the start of the intervention, in line with the expectations placed on Commissioners on their appointment. I have met the Leader of Birmingham City Council and I am due to meet with the Commissioners this week. I would be happy to meet with all MPs whose constituencies are within the area of the Council.
The department and former Ministers were notified of the decision by the then Section 151 Officer at Birmingham City Council to issue a Section 114 report on 5 September 2023, the day it was made and published by the Council. The Council has provided the Department with their estimate of the equal pay liability, including as part of their request for additional financial support in February 2024. That estimate is £867 million. In line with the Public Sector Equality Duty, an equalities analysis was carried out in relation to requests from councils for additional flexibility to increase council tax for 2024/25.