Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were receiving free school meals as the result of the transitional protections associated with the April 2018 introduction of an earned income threshold of £7,400 for universal credit claimants in each year from 2018 to 2023.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The department publishes statistics annually that detail the number of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM). The latest data show that over 2 million pupils are eligible to receive this entitlement, which is 23.8% of all pupils. This is an increase from 1.1 million eligible pupils in 2018, when extensive transitional protections were first introduced. This has ensured that children in receipt of FSM will not lose access to this entitlement, even if their household’s financial circumstances improve.
In addition, this government has extended eligibility for free school meals several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century, most notably through the introduction of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) in 2014. The result of this is that over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM, compared with just one in six in 2010.
Data on the number of pupils eligible for FSM are based on information provided by schools in their census returns. This does not distinguish pupils who are only eligible as a result of protections, and no longer meet the eligibility criteria for FSM. The department monitors this information but does not have plans to make a formal estimate of the number of pupils who are eligible for FSM under transitional protections only.
Further to this, the department has always been clear that a child is only eligible for FSM if their family meets the eligibility criteria at the point of applying for FSM. The result may be that in some cases for children in the same household, some may be eligible for FSM whilst others are not. The department does not plan to make an estimate of this figure.
Further information is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-2f5a67c4-6e66-414a-a926-f959d8b6443a-tables.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the transitional protections associated with the April 2018 introduction of an earned income threshold of £7,400 for universal credit claimants, if she will make an estimate of the number of families with multiple children in which one or more child does and one or more child does not qualify for free school meals, as at 9 January 2024.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The department publishes statistics annually that detail the number of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM). The latest data show that over 2 million pupils are eligible to receive this entitlement, which is 23.8% of all pupils. This is an increase from 1.1 million eligible pupils in 2018, when extensive transitional protections were first introduced. This has ensured that children in receipt of FSM will not lose access to this entitlement, even if their household’s financial circumstances improve.
In addition, this government has extended eligibility for free school meals several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century, most notably through the introduction of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) in 2014. The result of this is that over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM, compared with just one in six in 2010.
Data on the number of pupils eligible for FSM are based on information provided by schools in their census returns. This does not distinguish pupils who are only eligible as a result of protections, and no longer meet the eligibility criteria for FSM. The department monitors this information but does not have plans to make a formal estimate of the number of pupils who are eligible for FSM under transitional protections only.
Further to this, the department has always been clear that a child is only eligible for FSM if their family meets the eligibility criteria at the point of applying for FSM. The result may be that in some cases for children in the same household, some may be eligible for FSM whilst others are not. The department does not plan to make an estimate of this figure.
Further information is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-2f5a67c4-6e66-414a-a926-f959d8b6443a-tables.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of children who will receive free school meals as the result of the transitional protections associated with the April 2018 introduction of an earned income threshold of £7,400 for universal credit claimants in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The department publishes statistics annually that detail the number of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM). The latest data show that over 2 million pupils are eligible to receive this entitlement, which is 23.8% of all pupils. This is an increase from 1.1 million eligible pupils in 2018, when extensive transitional protections were first introduced. This has ensured that children in receipt of FSM will not lose access to this entitlement, even if their household’s financial circumstances improve.
In addition, this government has extended eligibility for free school meals several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century, most notably through the introduction of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) in 2014. The result of this is that over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM, compared with just one in six in 2010.
Data on the number of pupils eligible for FSM are based on information provided by schools in their census returns. This does not distinguish pupils who are only eligible as a result of protections, and no longer meet the eligibility criteria for FSM. The department monitors this information but does not have plans to make a formal estimate of the number of pupils who are eligible for FSM under transitional protections only.
Further to this, the department has always been clear that a child is only eligible for FSM if their family meets the eligibility criteria at the point of applying for FSM. The result may be that in some cases for children in the same household, some may be eligible for FSM whilst others are not. The department does not plan to make an estimate of this figure.
Further information is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-2f5a67c4-6e66-414a-a926-f959d8b6443a-tables.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating guidelines on the level of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in drinking water.
Answered by Robbie Moore
The Drinking Water Inspectorate’s (DWI) guideline value on individual types of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) of 100 nanograms per litre was agreed with the UK Health Security Agency to be a robust level with an appropriate margin to ensure our drinking water is safe to drink. There is no evidence of PFAS concentrations above this value in drinking water supplies. The DWI has provided further direction to water companies to develop appropriate and focused strategies to protect drinking water supplies and work is continuing across Government to help us assess levels of PFAS occurring in the environment, their sources and potential risks to inform future policy and regulatory approaches.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to update to the List of named tax avoidance schemes, promoters, enables and suppliers of 1 December 2023, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes to the loan charge that came into effect on 5 April 2019 on the financial wellbeing of freelancers.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston
The Loan Charge was independently reviewed by Lord Morse, who considered the impacts of the policy on individuals. The Government accepted 19 of his 20 recommendations. These changes, such as removing loans made before 9 December 2010 from the scope of the Loan Charge, reduced the impact of the policy and removed aspects which were of wider concern.HMRC puts support for those affected at the core of its work to collect the Loan Charge and bring cases to settlement.
HMRC can agree an affordable and sustainable instalment plan based on taxpayers’ specific circumstances and for as long as they need. HMRC can also refer taxpayers for free debt advice that is independent from HMRC.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) education providers have been (i) investigated and (ii) inspected under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 and (b) unregistered schools have been identified in each year between 2015 and 2023.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
Ofsted publish statistics twice a year on the number of those settings that have been investigated and inspected under section 96 of the Education and Skills Act 2008 since January 2016. The published statistics include information relating to the number of warning notices that been issued because of Ofsted inspectors concluding that an unregistered school may be operating on the premises.
The published statistics which cover each year since 2016 can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/unregistered-schools-management-information.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding her Department has provided for (a) mental health services (i) for children and young people and (ii) in total and (b) all NHS services in each financial year since 2019-20.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
It is for individual local commissioners to allocate funding to mental health services to meet the needs of their local populations and this information is not collected centrally. Integrated care boards are expected to continue to meet the Mental Health Investment Standard by increasing their investment in mental health services in line with their overall increase in funding for the year.
The following table shows the actual expenditure on mental health services for the period 2019/20 to 2022/23:
Year | Mental health spend for children and young people, excluding learning disabilities and eating disorders (£ billion) | Total mental health spend (£ billion) |
2019/20 | 0.79 | 13.32 |
2020/21 | 0.88 | 14.31 |
2021/22 | 0.92 | 14.93 |
2022/23 | 1.04 | 15.97 |
Source: NHS Mental Health Dashboard
Note: Total actual mental health spend reported here includes spending on learning disabilities and dementia, which is not included in the mental health investment standard or the baseline spend for the commitment in the NHS Long Term Plan to increase mental health spending by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS Long Term Plan, published on 7 January 2019, how much and what proportion of the additional £2.3 billion of funding for mental health services has been spent on services for (a) children and (b) other young people.
Answered by Maria Caulfield
The NHS Long Term Plan committed to increasing funding to support the expansion and transformation of National Health Service-funded mental health services for adults, children, and young people in England by an additional £2.3 billion a year by March 2024. The proportion of this funding that has been spent on children and young people’s services is not separately identifiable.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of ending the Household Support Fund on (a) local authorities and (b) people accessing local authority services.
Answered by Mims Davies - Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Since October 2021, Government has provided over £2 billion to local authorities in England via the Household Support Fund (HSF) for them to provide discretionary support with the cost of essentials to those most in need. As with all government spending in England, the HSF has led to consequential increases in Barnett funding, which the Devolved Administrations can spend at their discretion. The current Household Support Fund runs from April 2023 until the end of March 2024.
No such assessment has been made of the potential impact of the ending of the Household Support Fund on local authorities and people accessing local authority services. The government continues to keep all its existing programmes under review in the usual way.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to respond to Thames Water's s35 application for its Teddington Direct River Abstraction proposal.
Answered by Robbie Moore
Thames Water have requested that the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs gives a direction under Section 35 of the Planning Act 2008 for the Teddington Direct River Abstraction. The Secretary of State will respond to Thames Water in line with the statutory timeframe required.