Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's Department for Education consolidated annual report and accounts 2021 to 2022 published 19 December 2022, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) England and (ii) Wirral West constituency that have buildings rated as very likely to collapse.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department prioritises capital support where there is a risk to health and safety.
The building safety risk level was uprated last year reflecting an increasingly ageing estate, with more buildings reaching the end of their design life, reflecting in part the nature of materials and approaches used to build schools in the post-war period.
Department officials are clear that there are no areas within schools open to pupils where there is a known immediate risk of collapse.
Over £13 billion has been allocated since 2015 to maintain and improve school facilities across England, including £1.8 billion in 2022/23. The Department will improve school facilities at 500 schools and sixth form colleges over the next decade. In December 2022, the Department announced 239 more schools were to be rebuilt or refurbished through the School Rebuilding Programme, taking the total to 400 of the 500 projects already planned.
Where a building risks closure on safety grounds, and the issues cannot be managed within the school’s resource, the Department will always provide additional advice and support on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has plans to provide financial support to Ukrainian students studying full-time at Ukrainian institutions remotely from the UK.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department has worked alongside colleagues at the Home Office to explore what support can be made available for both Ukrainian students continuing their study remotely from the UK, and those studying at UK institutions.
Universities in Ukraine are striving to maintain the education of their students under extremely challenging conditions. This includes through the provision of online distance learning for students enrolled at Ukrainian universities who now live in another country, including in the UK. The department encourages these students to speak with their education provider in Ukraine to understand what support is available for them to continue their studies at their Ukrainian provider. This includes those studying through the UK twinning programme, of which the government announced funding to support in June 2022. Information about this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-package-offers-a-lifeline-to-ukrainian-researchers-and-entrepreneurs. The programme provides support to Ukrainian universities by establishing partnerships with those in the UK.
Student finance is available only for eligible students studying a course provided predominantly in the UK by a UK higher education provider, including Ukrainian students who have enrolled at UK universities. In England, those studying via distance learning are, in general, not eligible to receive student loans to cover maintenance costs. This is also the case for Ukrainian students in England, who are studying via distance learning.
The department does not hold data on the number of Ukrainians who are studying online at Ukrainian institutions via distance learning in the UK.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of Ukrainian students studying full-time at Ukrainian institutions remotely from the UK.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department has worked alongside colleagues at the Home Office to explore what support can be made available for both Ukrainian students continuing their study remotely from the UK, and those studying at UK institutions.
Universities in Ukraine are striving to maintain the education of their students under extremely challenging conditions. This includes through the provision of online distance learning for students enrolled at Ukrainian universities who now live in another country, including in the UK. The department encourages these students to speak with their education provider in Ukraine to understand what support is available for them to continue their studies at their Ukrainian provider. This includes those studying through the UK twinning programme, of which the government announced funding to support in June 2022. Information about this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-package-offers-a-lifeline-to-ukrainian-researchers-and-entrepreneurs. The programme provides support to Ukrainian universities by establishing partnerships with those in the UK.
Student finance is available only for eligible students studying a course provided predominantly in the UK by a UK higher education provider, including Ukrainian students who have enrolled at UK universities. In England, those studying via distance learning are, in general, not eligible to receive student loans to cover maintenance costs. This is also the case for Ukrainian students in England, who are studying via distance learning.
The department does not hold data on the number of Ukrainians who are studying online at Ukrainian institutions via distance learning in the UK.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on supporting Ukrainian students studying full-time at Ukrainian institutions remotely from the UK.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Universities in Ukraine are striving to maintain the education of their students under extremely challenging conditions. This includes through the provision of online distance learning for students enrolled at Ukrainian universities who now live in another country, including in the UK. The department encourages these students to speak with their education provider in Ukraine to understand what support is available for them to continue their studies at their Ukrainian provider. This includes those studying through the UK twinning programme, of which the government announced funding to support in June 2022. Information about this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-uk-package-offers-a-lifeline-to-ukrainian-researchers-and-entrepreneurs. The programme provides support to Ukrainian universities by establishing partnerships with those in the UK.
Student finance is available only for eligible students studying a course provided predominantly in the UK by a UK higher education provider, including Ukrainian students who have enrolled at UK universities. In England, those studying via distance learning are, in general, not eligible to receive student loans to cover maintenance costs. This is also the case for Ukrainian students in England, who are studying via distance learning.
The department does not hold data on the number of Ukrainians who are studying online at Ukrainian institutions via distance learning in the UK.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an estimate of the affordability of childcare provision in Wirral West constituency.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
The department continues to monitor the sufficiency of childcare. The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children. Ofsted data currently shows that the number of places offered by providers on the Early Years Register has remained broadly stable at 1.3 million places since August 2015. This data can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022/main-findings-childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022.
Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The parliamentary constituency of Wirral West is in the local authority of Wirral. At present, all local authorities, including Wirral, report that they are fulfilling their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.
The department is committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare. We continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use the government-funded support they are entitled to.
The department collects data on the main characteristics of childcare and early years provision in England and fees data can be broken down to local authority level. The latest data shows the average hourly fee band for childcare in Wirral to be £5.00 for two-year-old children and £4.75 for three and four-year-old children.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an estimate of the sufficiency of childcare provision in Wirral West constituency.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
The department continues to monitor the sufficiency of childcare. The key measure of sufficiency is whether the supply of available places is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents and children. Ofsted data currently shows that the number of places offered by providers on the Early Years Register has remained broadly stable at 1.3 million places since August 2015. This data can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022/main-findings-childcare-providers-and-inspections-as-at-31-march-2022.
Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The parliamentary constituency of Wirral West is in the local authority of Wirral. At present, all local authorities, including Wirral, report that they are fulfilling their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.
The department is committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare. We continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use the government-funded support they are entitled to.
The department collects data on the main characteristics of childcare and early years provision in England and fees data can be broken down to local authority level. The latest data shows the average hourly fee band for childcare in Wirral to be £5.00 for two-year-old children and £4.75 for three and four-year-old children.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) nurseries and (b) other early years childcare settings that have closed in Wirral West constituency in the last 12 months.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
This is a matter for His 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.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the £1.5 billion FE Capital Transformation Fund has been allocated since March 2020; where those funds have been allocated and for what purpose; and how the remaining funds will be used.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Further Education (FE) Capital Transformation Programme is delivering the £1.5 billion manifesto commitment to upgrade FE college estates.
In the first phase of the Programme, we allocated £200 million to all FE colleges and designated institutions in August 2020, to enable colleges to undertake immediate remedial work and upgrade the condition of their estates.
The department announced in April 2021 that we are working with 16 colleges, that are some of the most in need of support to upgrade and revitalise their estates.
In April 2022, the department announced that up to £405 million of funding is being provided to a further 62 colleges who were successful in bidding for funding through the FE Capital Transformation Fund. We will aim to provide an update on plans for delivering the remainder of the £1.5 billion of funding later this year.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to make legislative changes that will affect the status of Specialist Designated Institutions (SDIs) as part of the statutory further education sector and as set out in the Further and Higher Education Act 1992; and whether SDIs remain eligible for grant funding as set out in that Act.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The government does not plan to make any legislative changes that will affect the status of designated institutions, including specialist providers, as part of the statutory further education sector.
Designated institutions, as defined by the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, remain eligible for grant funding.
Asked by: Margaret Greenwood (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of his policy of including as vulnerable those children and young people who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study on the projected infection rates of covid-19 in areas of deprivation (a) in Wirral and (b) in England.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Following my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s announcement of a new national lockdown, the Department published updated guidance on 8 January for children of critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision. The Department also published updated guidance on remote education: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/950510/School_national_restrictions_guidance.pdf.
In the remote education guidance, the Department set out that some children who have difficulty engaging in remote education may be considered to be vulnerable children and, therefore, eligible to attend school. It is up to the child’s school or local authority to make this decision. The decision would be based on the needs of the child and their family, and a range of other factors, as set out in the guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-educational-provision/guidance-for-schools-colleges-and-local-authorities-on-maintaining-educational-provision#vulnerable-children-and-young-people.
The updated remote education guidance also sets outs that, where pupils continue to experience barriers to digital remote education, we expect schools to work to overcome these barriers. This could include distributing school-owned laptops or supplementing digital provision with different forms of remote education such as printed resources or textbooks. This should be supplemented with other forms of communication to keep pupils and students on track, or answer questions about work.
The Department has also published a good practice guide, which provides advice to teachers and school leaders to support effective delivery of the curriculum remotely: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-good-practice/remote-education-good-practice. This is part of our broader package of support for schools, which are able to be accessed through the Get Help with Remote Education page: https://get-help-with-remote-education.education.gov.uk/good-teaching-practice.html.