Michael Tomlinson

Reliable, fast broadband is now seen as an essential service, not a nice-to-have. We are introducing a new broadband Universal Service Obligation in this Parliament to ensure that everyone can benefit from improved broadband connectivity. Premises in hard to reach areas, not served by commercial or existing publicly funded broadband roll outs, will have the legal right to request a broadband connection with speeds of at least 10 Megabits, no matter where they live or work.

Superfast broadband coverage will reach 95% of UK premises by the end of 2017. Further funding from clawback and efficiency savings in the local broadband contracts with BT will allow this coverage to be extended further.

In addition it is the Government's intention to implement a new broadband Universal Service Obligation. This will give people the legal right to request a broadband connection, no matter where they live, by the end of this Parliament. Our ambition is that this should initially be set at 10 Mbps.

I met both Steve Holliday, the Chair of the Full Time Social Action Review, and City Year, a provider of full time social action, in May.

I have no further plans to discuss a pilot programme with delivery organisations.

We are committed to supporting young people to take action on the issues they care about, and has invested in youth social action through programmes including the #iwill campaign and the National Citizen Service.

The Staying Put duty requires local authorities to support young people to continue living with their former foster carers up to age 21, where both parties want this. The government does not therefore collect Staying Put related data for care leavers aged 22-25 years.

As of 14 March 2019, 75 organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors had signed the care leaver covenant and published their offers to care leavers. All covenant offers are available to view at: https://mycovenant.org.uk/featured-signatories/. In addition, each government department has set out its offer to care leavers, copies of which have been published on GOV.UK. Spectra First, the government’s delivery partner for the care leaver covenant, is currently working with a number of other organisations which have signed a statement of intent confirming that they will provide opportunities to care leavers, but where the detail of their offer has not been finalised.

The aim of the care leaver covenant is to secure offers for care leavers that will support them to achieve one or more of the 5 outcomes set out in the cross-government care leaver strategy – Keep on Caring – one of which is to be engaged in education, employment or training. From the 75 organisations that have signed the covenant so far, employment offers include:

• 27 offers of work experience placements, ranging from one week to 3 months;
• 5 offers of apprenticeships and;
• 11 offers of paid internships or employment.

In addition, PGL (a provider of activity holidays for children and young people) has over 1,000 jobs in their summer camps in 2019 and has indicated that they would strongly encourage care leavers to apply for these vacancies. The government is leading the way through its civil service care leaver internship scheme, which in 2019 is providing 75 12-month paid internships across 18 government departments.

Other (non-employment-related) offers of support include: enhanced support packages for care leavers from universities and further education colleges, and offers of workshops/training on areas such as money management and maintaining a tenancy.

As of 14 March 2019, 75 organisations from the public, private and voluntary sectors had signed the care leaver covenant and published their offers to care leavers. All covenant offers are available to view at: https://mycovenant.org.uk/featured-signatories/. In addition, each government department has set out its offer to care leavers, copies of which have been published on GOV.UK. Spectra First, the government’s delivery partner for the care leaver covenant, is currently working with a number of other organisations which have signed a statement of intent confirming that they will provide opportunities to care leavers, but where the detail of their offer has not been finalised.

The aim of the care leaver covenant is to secure offers for care leavers that will support them to achieve one or more of the 5 outcomes set out in the cross-government care leaver strategy – Keep on Caring – one of which is to be engaged in education, employment or training. From the 75 organisations that have signed the covenant so far, employment offers include:

• 27 offers of work experience placements, ranging from one week to 3 months;
• 5 offers of apprenticeships and;
• 11 offers of paid internships or employment.

In addition, PGL (a provider of activity holidays for children and young people) has over 1,000 jobs in their summer camps in 2019 and has indicated that they would strongly encourage care leavers to apply for these vacancies. The government is leading the way through its civil service care leaver internship scheme, which in 2019 is providing 75 12-month paid internships across 18 government departments.

Other (non-employment-related) offers of support include: enhanced support packages for care leavers from universities and further education colleges, and offers of workshops/training on areas such as money management and maintaining a tenancy.

‘Fostering Better Outcomes’ set out our commitment to improving the lives of children in foster care, including making sure there are sufficient foster parents to meet the needs of children, and that foster parents have access to the support they need. Whilst achieving this is a long-term strategy and requires everyone in the system to work together to bring about real improvements for foster parents and the children for whom they care, we have already made significant progress towards our commitments, including the following points:

• We have undertaken a digital ‘discovery phase’ and have now moved to an ‘alpha’ testing phase, exploring how information and support can be made more accessible to current and prospective foster parents.
• We are developing the ‘fostering trailblazers’ concept focusing on how we can best identify, evaluate and share examples of best practise.
• The annual uplift to the national minimum allowance for foster parents was published in March. A communication has been sent to all Directors of Children’s Services making clear that this is the very minimum that we expect foster parents to be paid.
• We have extended the Department for Education’s contract with Fosterline in order that current and prospective foster parents can continue to access free independent advice, advocacy and support that they tell us they find so valuable.
• We have worked with the Fostering Network to strengthen the Foster Carer Charter, which clearly details the support foster parents can expect. We continue to encourage all fostering services to commit publicly to the charter.
• Following our £3.8 million investment through the Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, we will share the evaluation of the Mockingbird Family Model project, to enable more fostering providers to understand the benefits and value of peer support to foster parents in order to develop their own systems.
• We have invited bids from new or existing fostering partnerships to develop or expand collaborative approaches to sufficiency planning and commissioning of fostering placements, using needs analysis and innovative delivery models.

I refer the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole to the answer I gave on 12 March 2019 to Question 228093.

The National Stability Forum was established in 2018 and had its first meeting in October 2018. It has since met in December 2018 and March 2019. The members are:

• Director General, Social Care, Mobility and Disadvantage (Chair).
• Chief Social Worker for Children and Families.
• The Association of Directors of Children’s Services President (or nominee).
• Chair of the Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board.
• Chair of the Residential Care Leadership Board.
• One of the co-authors of the Foster Care in England Report.

The membership has been drawn from sector bodies, and other individuals or organisations may be invited to attend meetings from time to time. The Chair will review the membership annually.

The terms of reference are attached.

The membership of the National Stability Forum (NSF) has been established with the aim of improving stability for all children in the orbit of the care system. Its members are drawn from sector bodies, which engage with and reach out to stakeholders. Other individuals and organisations may be invited to attend meetings from time to time. Part of the NSF’s core role is to promote a clear message about the importance of stability for children in the care system.

To date, the NSF has reviewed a range of publicly available data on children in care to better understand how the care system is promoting stability and permanence and has focused initial discussions on the care placement market. The NSF has also shaped and endorsed the fostering seed-funding, which was a commitment government made following the Foster Care Review, to take steps to address the challenges in sufficient placements in all areas and for all levels of need.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The latest national information on the number of care leavers aged 19 to 21 can be found in table F1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked-after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. These figures are also disaggregated at local authority level for 2018 in the underlying data tables that accompany this statistical release.

The department does not hold information on care leavers aged 22 to 25.

The latest national information on the number of care leavers aged 19 to 21 and the percentage in touch with their local authority can be found in table F1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. These figures are also disaggregated at local authority level for 2018 in the underlying data tables that accompany this statistical release.

The department does not hold data on care leavers below local authority level.

The department does not hold information centrally on the number and proportion of care leavers who have specifically had contact with a personal advisor within a local authority.

Paragraph 4.38 of the Children Act (1989) volume 3 statutory guidance provides further information on how the duty on local authorities to keep in touch with care leavers should be implemented. A copy of the guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397649/CA1989_Transitions_guidance.pdf.

The latest national information on the number of care leavers aged 19 to 21 and the percentage in touch with their local authority can be found in table F1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. These figures are also disaggregated at local authority level for 2018 in the underlying data tables that accompany this statistical release.

The department does not hold data on care leavers below local authority level.

The department does not hold information centrally on the number and proportion of care leavers who have specifically had contact with a personal advisor within a local authority.

Paragraph 4.38 of the Children Act (1989) volume 3 statutory guidance provides further information on how the duty on local authorities to keep in touch with care leavers should be implemented. A copy of the guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397649/CA1989_Transitions_guidance.pdf.

The latest national information on the number of care leavers aged 19 to 21 and the percentage in touch with their local authority can be found in table F1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. These figures are also disaggregated at local authority level for 2018 in the underlying data tables that accompany this statistical release.

The department does not hold data on care leavers below local authority level.

The department does not hold information centrally on the number and proportion of care leavers who have specifically had contact with a personal advisor within a local authority.

Paragraph 4.38 of the Children Act (1989) volume 3 statutory guidance provides further information on how the duty on local authorities to keep in touch with care leavers should be implemented. A copy of the guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397649/CA1989_Transitions_guidance.pdf.

The latest national information on the number of care leavers aged 19 to 21 and the percentage in touch with their local authority can be found in table F1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. These figures are also disaggregated at local authority level for 2018 in the underlying data tables that accompany this statistical release.

The department does not hold data on care leavers below local authority level.

The department does not hold information centrally on the number and proportion of care leavers who have specifically had contact with a personal advisor within a local authority.

Paragraph 4.38 of the Children Act (1989) volume 3 statutory guidance provides further information on how the duty on local authorities to keep in touch with care leavers should be implemented. A copy of the guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397649/CA1989_Transitions_guidance.pdf.

The latest national information on the number of care leavers aged 19 to 21 and the percentage in touch with their local authority can be found in table F1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. These figures are also disaggregated at local authority level for 2018 in the underlying data tables that accompany this statistical release.

The department does not hold data on care leavers below local authority level.

The department does not hold information centrally on the number and proportion of care leavers who have specifically had contact with a personal advisor within a local authority.

Paragraph 4.38 of the Children Act (1989) volume 3 statutory guidance provides further information on how the duty on local authorities to keep in touch with care leavers should be implemented. A copy of the guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397649/CA1989_Transitions_guidance.pdf.

The latest national information on the number of care leavers aged 19 to 21 and the percentage in touch with their local authority can be found in table F1 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. These figures are also disaggregated at local authority level for 2018 in the underlying data tables that accompany this statistical release.

The department does not hold data on care leavers below local authority level.

The department does not hold information centrally on the number and proportion of care leavers who have specifically had contact with a personal advisor within a local authority.

Paragraph 4.38 of the Children Act (1989) volume 3 statutory guidance provides further information on how the duty on local authorities to keep in touch with care leavers should be implemented. A copy of the guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/397649/CA1989_Transitions_guidance.pdf.

The latest research published on the number of pupils not claiming free school meals was published in December 2013 and shows the under-registration rate of pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) is 11%. The full report is available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf.

In Dorset and Poole, the under-registration rates reported at 2013 are in the attached table.

Schools automatically receive Pupil Premium funding for each pupil registered as eligible for free school meals in the school census and for any pupil eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. This year 1.99 million pupils, 27% of all pupils, aged 5-16 are eligible to receive Pupil Premium funding.

We do not publish statistics on the take up of Pupil Premium.

The department wants to make sure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this we provide:

• The Eligibility Checking Service to make the checking process as quick and simple as possible for schools and local authorities.
• A model registration form for paper-based applications.
• Guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisors and work coaches so they can make Universal Credit claimants aware that they might be entitled to free school meals.

We know that many schools and local authorities have established very effective ways to encourage all eligible families to register for free school meals.

The latest research published on the number of pupils not claiming free school meals was published in December 2013 and shows the under-registration rate of pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) is 11%. The full report is available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf.

In Dorset and Poole, the under-registration rates reported at 2013 are in the attached table.

Schools automatically receive Pupil Premium funding for each pupil registered as eligible for free school meals in the school census and for any pupil eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. This year 1.99 million pupils, 27% of all pupils, aged 5-16 are eligible to receive Pupil Premium funding.

We do not publish statistics on the take up of Pupil Premium.

The department wants to make sure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this we provide:

• The Eligibility Checking Service to make the checking process as quick and simple as possible for schools and local authorities.
• A model registration form for paper-based applications.
• Guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisors and work coaches so they can make Universal Credit claimants aware that they might be entitled to free school meals.

We know that many schools and local authorities have established very effective ways to encourage all eligible families to register for free school meals.

The latest research published on the number of pupils not claiming free school meals was published in December 2013 and shows the under-registration rate of pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) is 11%. The full report is available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf.

In Dorset and Poole, the under-registration rates reported at 2013 are in the attached table.

Schools automatically receive Pupil Premium funding for each pupil registered as eligible for free school meals in the school census and for any pupil eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. This year 1.99 million pupils, 27% of all pupils, aged 5-16 are eligible to receive Pupil Premium funding.

We do not publish statistics on the take up of Pupil Premium.

The department wants to make sure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this we provide:

• The Eligibility Checking Service to make the checking process as quick and simple as possible for schools and local authorities.
• A model registration form for paper-based applications.
• Guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisors and work coaches so they can make Universal Credit claimants aware that they might be entitled to free school meals.

We know that many schools and local authorities have established very effective ways to encourage all eligible families to register for free school meals.

The latest research published on the number of pupils not claiming free school meals was published in December 2013 and shows the under-registration rate of pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) is 11%. The full report is available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf.

In Dorset and Poole, the under-registration rates reported at 2013 are in the attached table.

Schools automatically receive Pupil Premium funding for each pupil registered as eligible for free school meals in the school census and for any pupil eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. This year 1.99 million pupils, 27% of all pupils, aged 5-16 are eligible to receive Pupil Premium funding.

We do not publish statistics on the take up of Pupil Premium.

The department wants to make sure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this we provide:

• The Eligibility Checking Service to make the checking process as quick and simple as possible for schools and local authorities.
• A model registration form for paper-based applications.
• Guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisors and work coaches so they can make Universal Credit claimants aware that they might be entitled to free school meals.

We know that many schools and local authorities have established very effective ways to encourage all eligible families to register for free school meals.

The latest research published on the number of pupils not claiming free school meals was published in December 2013 and shows the under-registration rate of pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) is 11%. The full report is available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf.

In Dorset and Poole, the under-registration rates reported at 2013 are in the attached table.

Schools automatically receive Pupil Premium funding for each pupil registered as eligible for free school meals in the school census and for any pupil eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. This year 1.99 million pupils, 27% of all pupils, aged 5-16 are eligible to receive Pupil Premium funding.

We do not publish statistics on the take up of Pupil Premium.

The department wants to make sure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this we provide:

• The Eligibility Checking Service to make the checking process as quick and simple as possible for schools and local authorities.
• A model registration form for paper-based applications.
• Guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisors and work coaches so they can make Universal Credit claimants aware that they might be entitled to free school meals.

We know that many schools and local authorities have established very effective ways to encourage all eligible families to register for free school meals.

The latest research published on the number of pupils not claiming free school meals was published in December 2013 and shows the under-registration rate of pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) is 11%. The full report is available here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf.

In Dorset and Poole, the under-registration rates reported at 2013 are in the attached table.

Schools automatically receive Pupil Premium funding for each pupil registered as eligible for free school meals in the school census and for any pupil eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. This year 1.99 million pupils, 27% of all pupils, aged 5-16 are eligible to receive Pupil Premium funding.

We do not publish statistics on the take up of Pupil Premium.

The department wants to make sure that as many eligible pupils as possible are claiming free school meals, and to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility. To support this we provide:

• The Eligibility Checking Service to make the checking process as quick and simple as possible for schools and local authorities.
• A model registration form for paper-based applications.
• Guidance to Jobcentre Plus advisors and work coaches so they can make Universal Credit claimants aware that they might be entitled to free school meals.

We know that many schools and local authorities have established very effective ways to encourage all eligible families to register for free school meals.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The number of care leavers aged 17 and 18 years old who were in education other than higher education in the year ending 31 March 2017, was 4,610. Information on care leavers aged 17 and 18 years old was collected for the first time for the year ending 31 March 2016 and is published as experimental statistics.

These figures were published in 2017 in table F3 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 (SFR 50/2017)’ at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.

Education other than higher education means all studies excluding degrees, diplomas in higher education, teaching and nursing qualifications, HNDs, ONDs, and BTEC levels 4-5, all of which fall under the category higher education.

The information requested is not held centrally.

The number of care leavers aged 19 to 21 years old, who were in education other than higher education in the year ending 31 March 2017, was 5,090. For care leavers aged 17 to 18, the number was 4,610. Information on care leavers aged 17 and 18 years old was collected for the first time for the year ending 31 March 2016 and is published as experimental statistics.

These figures were published in 2017, in the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2016 to 2017 (SFR 50/2017)’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2016-to-2017.

Education other than higher education refers to all studies excluding degrees, diplomas in higher education, teaching and nursing qualifications, HNDs, ONDs, and BTEC levels 4-5, all of which fall under the category of higher education.

The Children and Social Work Act (2017) places a duty on the Secretary of State for Education to make relationships education mandatory in all primary schools, and relationships and sex education mandatory in all secondary schools, in England. The Act also provides a power for the Secretary of State to make Personal, Social, Health and Economic education, or elements therein mandatory in all schools in England.

The Department has conducted the first stage of a thorough engagement process. As part of this process, the Department has received more than 20,000 responses to the call for evidence. The evidence collected will help determine the content of the regulations and statutory guidance. The Department will ensure the subjects are designed to safeguard and support pupils whilst also being deliverable for schools. The Departments expect the guidance to reflect issues relating to marriage and civil partnerships, such as the value of strong and stable relationships based on commitment.

The draft regulations and guidance will be subject to a full public consultation before the regulations are laid in Parliament for debate and vote.

The Student Income and Expenditure Survey (SIES) reports on the average living costs across demographic groups. The 2014-15 report will be published shortly.

Loans for living costs are a contribution towards a full-time student’s costs while attending University rather than covering them in full. All full-time students qualify for some loan for living costs with the most support available for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Disabled students can also apply for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs), which are not income assessed and are not repayable, to cover essential, additional, learning-related expenditure.