First elected: 26th June 1975
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Peter Bottomley, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Peter Bottomley has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to require certain authorities to maintain a register of the destination of recycled materials; and for connected purposes.
Same Sex Marriage (Church of England) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Ben Bradshaw (Lab)
Electricity Supply (Vulnerable Customers) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Sam Tarry (Lab)
Cladding Remediation Works (Code of Practice) Bill 2022-23
Sponsor - Tom Hunt (Con)
Vehicle Registration Offences (Penalty Points) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Andrew Griffith (Con)
Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Tibet (Reciprocal Access) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Gambling (Industry Levy Review and Protections for Vulnerable People) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Richard Graham (Con)
Sky Lanterns (Prohibition) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Ruth George (Lab)
Election Expenses (Authorisation of Free or Discounted Support) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Craig Mackinlay (Con)
Multi-employer Pension Schemes Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Alan Brown (SNP)
Bus Drivers (Working Hours on Local Routes) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Matt Western (Lab)
Freehold Properties (Management Charges and Shared Facilities) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Helen Goodman (Lab)
Representation of the People (Young People's Enfranchisement and Education) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Jim McMahon (LAB)
Representation of the People (Young People's Enfranchisement) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Peter Kyle (Lab)
Leasehold Reform Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Justin Madders (Lab)
Public Authority (Accountability) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Andy Burnham (Lab)
Rail Ombudsman Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Tim Loughton (Con)
Diplomatic Service (United Kingdom Wines and Sparkling Wines) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - None ()
The relevant protected characteristic in the Equality Act 2010 is ‘gender reassignment’. The Equality and Human Rights Commission website explains that: “To be protected from gender reassignment discrimination, you do not need to have undergone any specific treatment or surgery to change from your birth sex to your preferred gender. This is because changing your physiological or other gender attributes is a personal process rather than a medical one. You can be at any stage in the transition process – from proposing to reassign your gender, to undergoing a process to reassign your gender, or having completed it.”
The Civil Service training course ‘Inclusion in the Civil Service’ gives an explanation of the Equality Act 2010 as follows:
The Equality Act provides specific protection for people who have the following characteristics:
However, the training does reference ‘gender identity’ as an area that could lead to discrimination. The current training is shortly being replaced with a new product called “Civil Service Expectations” which will more clearly reflect the legislation.
Our focus is on developing a new robust policy and legislative ban which protects all LGBT people from this abhorrent practice. We continue to work closely with a range of stakeholders, including various criminal justice experts and the Ministry of Justice.
The Civil Service has not developed or issued any specific guidance to Heads of Departments on their engagement with the Civil Service networks, including the Sex Equality and Equity Network.
The Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022 outlines a focus on the delivery of inclusion, to support our key priorities as outlined in the Declaration on Government Reform.
Responsibility for delivering the Government’s manifesto commitment to construct the UK Holocaust Memorial rests with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
There are currently no publicly available accounts from Stonewall for 2020/21 which we can compare with the Cabinet Office published accounts.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) offers a comprehensive package of support for whisky exporters, from our export academy which supports ‘new to export’ smaller businesses through to dedicated trade missions to key markets, inward buyer visits and a UK presence at major food and drink trade shows such as Prowein, Germany.
Moreover, DBT has staff in over 100 markets globally, contactable via our Export Support Service, a team of agriculture attachés in 11 markets focused on eliminating barriers for the food and drink industry and a dedicated team in Scotland focusing on support for Scottish exporters, including the Scotch whisky sector.
Ensuring the electricity system is reliable, as well as net zero consistent, means variable renewables, such as wind and solar, need to be complemented by technologies which can provide dispatchable or baseload power.
Biomass electricity generation can provide this flexibility and plays a key role in delivering a more secure, clean energy sector in Britain.
Parliamentary approval was granted for the updated energy National Policy Statements on 17 January 2024. This covers the use of biomass in electricity generation at the scale of Nationally Significant Infrastructure under the Planning Act (which applies to projects in England and Wales).
Government is currently consulting on potential arrangements to help facilitate the transition of large-scale biomass generation to power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. Responses to the consultation will help to inform government policy on this matter. As set out in the consultation, a potential support mechanism is expected to require secondary legislation which would be brought to Parliament as part of the legislative process.
The Government currently does not have any plans to reopen the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. The Government estimated that there were around 900,000 households eligible for the scheme, and the current application figures can be found on GOV.UK - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/energy-bills-support-scheme-alternative-fund-gb-ni-and-alternative-fuel-payment-alternative-fund-applications-made-by-customers.
I recommend that any household who was not able to access the EBSS AF visits the ‘Help for Households’ webpage on GOV.UK to view what other support they may be able to receive - https://helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk/.
The Government understands the concerns expressed regarding the take-up of the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding. However, the scheme is now closed to new applications. The scheme was open for applications from end February to end May. During that time, the Government used a variety of communication methods to ensure as many eligible households as possible could apply for their support. This included press notices, roundtables with key stakeholders, and a request for local authorities to write to care homes and park home sites in their area.
The department was allocated £362m to deliver the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Over £60m has been paid to eligible households who have made a successful application, and any remaining budget will be returned to HM Treasury.
The UK works closely with international partners and key organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to promote the development and uptake of animal replacement technologies. There are currently no plans to host a summit on the matter.
The Government, via UK Research & Innovation, funds the development of techniques that replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in research through the National Centre for 3Rs (NC3Rs). The NC3Rs encourages researchers’ to use non-animal methods (NAMs) in a number of ways, including supporting the skills base by funding PhD students to work only on the development of NAMs, and dedicated funding allowing researchers to test methods alongside existing animal studies. NC3Rs recently launched a network to bring researchers from academia, industry and regulatory authorities together to share knowledge on the use of NAMs methods for safety testing.
Discussions have taken place with a number of charities regarding increased energy costs. The Government is fully aware of the impact this is having on the voluntary sector.
This is why the Energy Bill Relief Scheme has been introduced, with legislation coming into force on 1 November, shielding charities across the United Kingdom from soaring energy prices and saving some around half of their wholesale energy costs. The scheme applies to energy usage from 1 October 2022 for an initial 6-month period.
I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer given by my Rt. Hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth to the Hon. Member for Liverpool, Riverside on 21st January 2022 to Question 103693.
There are no intentions to extend any contracts under the Renewables Obligation or Contracts for Difference schemes. In November 2021 the Government announced it would develop a business model to support bio-based power generation with carbon capture and storage. Any implementation of this would be subject to the appropriate parliamentary procedures.
Through the Biomass Strategy, which will be published later this year, the UK will establish the role of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture & Storage (BECCS) in reducing carbon emissions across the economy and set out how the technology could be deployed.
The Net Zero Strategy, outlined the UK’s ambition of 5MtCO2/year of engineered removals by 2030 and included illustrative ranges of 22-23MtCO2/year of engineered removals by 2035 and 75- 81MtCO2/year by 2050. Power BECCS projects have the potential to play a role in reaching these ambitions.
The UK is currently assessing the potential for carbon capture at existing UK biomass plants, however no decision has been made on future BECCS deployment or the award of power BECCS contracts.
My office will be in contact shortly to arrange a suitable date for this meeting.
This information is reported by suppliers to OFGEM. The latest dataset can be accessed here: https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/biomass-sustainability-dataset-2019-20.
The decision of S&P Global Dow Jones to remove Drax from its Global Clean Energy Index is a commercial decision for S&P Global Dow Jones.
The Government only supports biomass usage that complies with strict sustainability criteria.
The Royal Parks have full operational responsibility for the Buxton Memorial Fountain and the barriers which have been erected for the duration of essential repairs to it. A temporary footpath has been constructed around the memorial, so that access to the Embankment path remains.
Barriers were erected around the Buxton memorial in April 2023, in order to protect the monument ahead of and during essential structural repairs needed to maintain it. They will remain in place until completion of the repairs, which has an estimated date of July 2024.
Records of the level of public funding for English National Opera are available in its annual accounts, which are published online on the Companies House website.
Following Arts Council England’s decisions relating to English National Opera and its 2023–26 Investment Portfolio, which are taken at arm’s length from the Government, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is helping to convene relevant parties and support them to find a way forward. I am keen that Arts Council England and English National Opera work together on the future of the organisation.
All decisions on which organisations to fund through the 2023–26 Investment Programme, and by how much, have been taken by Arts Council England in line with the long-standing principle that Arts Council England makes such decisions at arm’s length from the Government. The Chief Executive of Arts Council England, Darren Henley, answered questions from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on these issues on 8 December 2022.
UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation member Lord Andrew Feldman wrote to the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, the Rt Hon John Whittingdale, on 26 October 2015 proposing that the Holocaust Memorial be located in Victoria Tower Gardens.
Following investigations into the feasibility of this site, the Foundation recommended Victoria Tower Gardens to the Government in January 2016 as the best choice of site. The then Prime Minister accepted this recommendation and announced Victoria Tower Gardens as the chosen site on Holocaust Memorial Day 2016.
The National Archives has not received a direct request for information from Mr Clive Stafford-Smith for access to material relating to the investigation and prosecution of the Hosein brothers.
The National Archives received a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on 02 June 2021 on behalf of one of the parties named for access to ten Crown Prosecution Service records (DPP 2/4806-4815) and one Attorney General’s Office record (LO 2/192).
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2000 gives applicants the right to know whether a public authority holds the information requested and to have it communicated to them, subject to any exemptions, which may apply. Some of the information contained within the requested files has been made accessible to the public, however the majority remained closed because the information is exempt under sections 38 (1) (a) and 40 (2) (by virtue of section 40 (3A) personal data exemption) of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. As exemptions apply, The National Archives cannot make these records available to the applicant or to the public in general.
The FOI process is not subject to Ministerial or Prime Ministerial approval. There is, however, an appeals process in which any application of FOI exemptions/closure can be re-reviewed.
Outside of the FOI process, individual government departments may allow discretionary access to their historic files, having first recalled them from The National Archives for the purposes of review, as permitted by the Public Records Act (1958).
The Government has consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 for years to come. Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We have received around 60,000 responses, and we are carefully considering all the views and evidence we have received to inform the government’s policy-making and final decision.
The government wants Channel 4 to remain a public service broadcaster. Public service broadcasters - publicly and privately owned - have both benefits and obligations. Our consultation document outlines that we see the value in many of these obligations.
Channel 4’s ability to make distinctive content, and its work with independent producers are precisely the strengths we would protect and expect any potential buyer to look to develop and nurture, should we decide to proceed with a sale. We do not therefore subscribe to a false binary choice between public service remit and privatisation.
Indeed, we already have two privately-owned - and very successful - public service broadcasters in the examples of ITV and Channel 5. Both continue to deliver public service objectives.
Our consultation document outlines that the government sees the great value delivered to society through the obligations placed on Channel 4 to broadcast content appealing to diverse audiences. We have sought views on whether to retain or increase such obligations through our consultation.
We consider that Channel 4’s ability to reach a diverse range of audiences is a strength to be celebrated and maintained into its future, and that this is not at odds with private investment - in fact, this is an important facet of Channel 4’s brand that is likely to be an attractive asset to nurture and develop for any potential buyer.
We have consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 for years to come.
Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We are carefully considering the views and evidence we have received to inform the government’s policy-making and final decision.
Channel 4 has played an important role in supporting independent production in the UK. The sector is now flourishing and increasingly less reliant on income from UK PSBs. Total UK production sector revenues increased by more than 30% over the five years to 2019, reaching £3.3 billion in 2019. The export market for UK content has continued to grow with the sector’s international revenues exceeding £1 billion in 2019, 30% more than the previous year.
Channel 4’s strengths in working with independent producers are precisely the kinds of attributes we would expect to be attractive to a buyer, and that we would expect any buyer to be likely to nurture and develop through new investment.
We have consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 for years to come. Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We are carefully considering the views and evidence we have received to inform the government’s policy-making and final decision.
Whatever decision we make about the future ownership model of Channel 4 will not compromise this government’s commitment to the independent production sector and to the wider creative economy.
Channel 4 is one of this country’s greatest broadcasting assets but we must think long-term about the challenges ahead and make sure it has the capital it needs to continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting.
We have consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 into the future. Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We are carefully considering the views and evidence we have received, including from advertising stakeholders, to inform the government’s policy-making and final decision.
Whatever decision is made about Channel 4’s ownership model, any reforms will not compromise our commitment to the wider creative economy.
Channel 4 is one of this country’s greatest broadcasting assets but we must think long-term about the challenges ahead and make sure it has the capital it needs to continue to contribute to the UK’s success in public service broadcasting.
We have consulted on the best ownership model to support Channel 4 into the future. Our public consultation closed on 14 September. We are carefully considering the views and evidence we have received, including from advertising stakeholders, to inform the government’s policy-making and final decision.
Whatever decision is made about Channel 4’s ownership model, any reforms will not compromise our commitment to the wider creative economy.
No Ministerial direction relating to the proposed National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre has been requested.
In regard to future management arrangements for Victoria Tower Gardens, the Government intends to let a long lease.
Detailed arrangements for the management of Victoria Tower Gardens will be announced in due course.
No Ministerial direction relating to the proposed National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre has been requested.
In regard to future management arrangements for Victoria Tower Gardens, the Government intends to let a long lease.
Detailed arrangements for the management of Victoria Tower Gardens will be announced in due course.
No Ministerial direction relating to the proposed National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre has been requested.
In regard to future management arrangements for Victoria Tower Gardens, the Government intends to let a long lease.
Detailed arrangements for the management of Victoria Tower Gardens will be announced in due course.
The site will continue to be owned by Government. We are in discussion with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and The Royal Parks about the future management arrangements for Victoria Tower Gardens.
The site will continue to be owned by Government. We are in discussion with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and The Royal Parks about the future management arrangements for Victoria Tower Gardens.
Raising standards is at the heart of this government’s agenda and, since 2010, the number of schools rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ has risen to 90% from 68%. The Progress in International Reading Study (PIRLS) 2021 showed that English primary school children are the best in the western world and were ranked 4th out of 43 comparable countries. While the pandemic affected the study, the Programme for International School Assessment 2022 also showed that 15 year old pupils in England performed above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and development (OECD) average and are now 11th in maths and 13th in reading and science. This was up from 27th in maths, 25th in reading and 16th in science in 2009.
The department has invested significantly to provide a world class education system, ensuring an excellent teacher for every child, high standards of curriculum attendance and behaviour, targeted support for every child that needs it and a stronger and fairer schools system. The overall core schools budget, including the recently announced additional pensions funding, will total £60.7 billion in 2024/25, which is the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. This means school funding will have risen by £11 billion by 2024/25 compared to 2021/22.
The funding breakdown requested since 2019/20 is included below. Figures for the 2023/24 financial year are subject to ongoing data collection and reconciliation and therefore we have not included this year in the table. The department reviews Initial Teacher Training (ITT) bursaries each year to determine the offer for trainees starting ITT the following academic year. In doing this, the department takes into account a number of factors including historic recruitment, forecast economic conditions and teacher supply need in each subject. The department focuses its funded Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) courses in its highest priority subjects with the greatest sufficiency challenges.
In addition to the funding outlined in the table below, the department also offers national professional qualifications (NPQs), including specialist NPQs in leading literacy and leading primary mathematics. Details on scholarship funding available for autumn 2024 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/funding-for-national-professional-qualifications-npqs.
The quality of teaching is the single most important, in-school factor for improving pupil outcomes and it is particularly important for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The department is creating a world-class teacher development system, which builds from ITT, through to early career support, specialisation and onto school leadership.
Financial year | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | |
Subject Knowledge Enhancement Courses1 | £28m | £24m | £14m | £10m | |
Oak National Academy resources2 | N/A | £4m | £4m | £7m | |
Subject hubs3 | English Hubs | £11m | £11m | £19m | £24m |
Maths Hubs | £27m | £25m | £16m | £28m | |
Science Hubs | £9m | £9m | £8m | £9m | |
Music Hubs | £76m | £76m | £76m | £76m | |
ITT Bursaries and Scholarships 4 | Maths and Numeracy | £35m | £50m | £53m | £41m |
English and literacy | £33m | £31m | £10m | £0m | |
Science5 | £72m | £77m | £52m | £33m | |
Music | £2m | £3m | £1m | £0m | |
History | £11m | £14m | £4m | £0m | |
Religious Education | £3m | £4m | £2m | £0m |
1. Due to the way the department allocated funding, it does not have historic data on SKE spending by subject. This total includes all SKE funding, regardless of subject
2. Oak was incubated by The Reach Foundation and predominantly funded through a department grant until 31 August 2022. The 2023/24 financial year is Oak’s arm’s length body allocated budget as 2023/24 actuals are not yet available. The funding for Oak National Academy covers the creation of curriculum resources across all national curriculum subjects for Key Stages 1 to 4
3. Where subject hubs are part of a contract with a supplier, we have included all contract costs, including those not directly for subject hubs but for other Career Progress Development (CPD) or central programme management. The department changed the way Maths Hubs were funded in the 2021/22 academic year, resulting in a visual drop by financial year but not across the academic years. The department also has subject hubs in computing and languages which are not shown in these figures but are included in total subject hub figures set out in WPQ 20499
4. ITT bursaries are paid and assured by academic year rather than financial year. The figures provided for each financial year have been calculated by prorating the total spend for the relevant academic years that the financial year spans. Academic years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 are subject to ongoing data collection and reconciliation and the figures provided may therefore be subject to change
5. Trainees on general science ITT courses are not eligible for bursaries. However, bursaries are available for biology, chemistry, and physics specialism courses. The figures provided for science are the total spend across the three individual sciences.
Teachers are the foundation of the education system; there are no great schools without great teachers. The quality of teaching is the single most important in-school factor for improving pupil outcomes. This is particularly important for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The department is creating a world class teacher development system, which builds from Initial Teacher Training (ITT), through to early career support, specialisation, and onto school leadership. The funding breakdown requested over the last five years is included in the attached table. The department is providing support across a range of subjects via a network of hubs that help build teacher capability and pupil access to subjects. This focuses on support for teachers in schools and extends to sixth form provision in some schools.
In addition to this funding, in 2021, as part of the government’s long term recovery plan, £184 million of new funding was allocated to enable teachers employed at state-funded organisations to access fully funded training scholarships for National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) for three years until the end of the 2023/24 academic year. This includes two specialist NPQs in Leading Literacy (NPQLL) and the NPQ in Leading Primary Mathematics (NPQLPM). In March 2024, the government announced scholarship funding for NPQs for the October 2024 cohort. This includes a guarantee that the NPQLPM will be fully funded until October 2025 to further expand teaching of mathematics mastery approaches through primary education.
Religious education (RE) is an important part of a school’s curriculum and can contribute to a young person’s personal, social, and academic development. When done well, it can develop children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, help them better understand those of other countries, and refine pupils’ ability to construct well-informed, balanced, and structured arguments. This is why RE remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18.
The department has no plans to publish additional non-statutory guidance on RE syllabus content in schools. The department’s policy is to allow RE curricula to be designed at a local level, whether this is through a locally agreed syllabus conference or by individual schools and academy trusts developing their own curricula. The department feels this is the most appropriate way for local demographics to be accounted for.
The department does however welcome the work that the Religious Education Council has done to assist curriculum developers by publishing its National Content Standard for RE in England.
The department is currently pursuing negotiations with West Sussex County Council for the department’s preferred location for the new special school, in West Durrington. Subject to this agreement, the department will be in a position to begin the process of acquiring the site. The department will ensure that the project director continues to keep my hon. Friend, the member for Worthing West updated as things progress.
One of our top priorities is to ensure that the department continues to attract, retain and develop the highly skilled teachers we need to inspire the next generation. There are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest FTE of teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
The department understands there is further to go to improve recruitment in some subjects. That is why the department has put in place bursaries worth £10,000 tax-free to encourage talented trainee teachers to teach Religious Education (RE).
The 2023/24 pay award means that teachers and leaders in maintained schools received the highest pay award in over thirty years and it delivers our manifesto commitment of at least a £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country in all subjects, including RE.
RE is an essential part of a school’s curriculum and remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools, including academies, to all pupils up to the age of 18.
Whilst no detailed assessment of primary teacher’s confidence in teaching RE has taken place, it is right that teachers feel confident in delivering the content for this subject. To ensure high standards and confidence in RE teaching, RE resources are being procured by Oak National Academy as part of the second tranche of its work. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector experience when producing new materials for RE. This will ensure that high quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils. These resources will begin to be available from Autumn 2024 and be fully available by September 2025
Data on numbers of qualified RE teachers are available on a national scale only. Using the Teacher Workforce Census there were 15,721 RE teachers in state-funded secondary schools nationally in 2022/23, which represents an increase from 15,529 in 2021/22 (up 192 teachers or 1.2%).
One of our top priorities is to ensure that the department continues to attract, retain and develop the highly skilled teachers we need to inspire the next generation. There are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in England, which is an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest FTE of teachers since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.
The department understands there is further to go to improve recruitment in some subjects. That is why the department has put in place bursaries worth £10,000 tax-free to encourage talented trainee teachers to teach Religious Education (RE).
The 2023/24 pay award means that teachers and leaders in maintained schools received the highest pay award in over thirty years and it delivers our manifesto commitment of at least a £30,000 starting salary for school teachers in all regions of the country in all subjects, including RE.
RE is an essential part of a school’s curriculum and remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools, including academies, to all pupils up to the age of 18.
Whilst no detailed assessment of primary teacher’s confidence in teaching RE has taken place, it is right that teachers feel confident in delivering the content for this subject. To ensure high standards and confidence in RE teaching, RE resources are being procured by Oak National Academy as part of the second tranche of its work. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector experience when producing new materials for RE. This will ensure that high quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils. These resources will begin to be available from Autumn 2024 and be fully available by September 2025
Data on numbers of qualified RE teachers are available on a national scale only. Using the Teacher Workforce Census there were 15,721 RE teachers in state-funded secondary schools nationally in 2022/23, which represents an increase from 15,529 in 2021/22 (up 192 teachers or 1.2%).
As my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have both made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by Covid-19.
During this period, we are asking schools to support pupils eligible for benefits-related free school meals by providing meals or food parcels through their existing food providers wherever possible. However, we recognise that providing meals and food parcels is not a practicable option for all schools. That is why, on 31 March, we launched a national voucher scheme as an alternative option, with costs covered by the Department for Education.
Voucher codes are being processed and many thousands of families are redeeming them. As of 28 April, Edenred have indicated that over 16,500 schools have placed orders for codes under this scheme. As of Friday 7 May, Edenred reported that over £58 million worth of voucher codes have been redeemed into supermarket e-gift cards by schools and families.
Schools can contact Edenred using either the email address or phone number setup specifically for the Department of Education’s national voucher scheme (freeschoolmeals@edenred.com or 0333 400 5932). We do not hold details of the time taken to respond to individual queries. We are working closely with Edenred regarding the performance of the voucher scheme and their engagement with queries from schools.
We are working tirelessly with Edenred to resolve any outstanding technical problems so that children eligible for free schools meals are supported quickly. As always, we thank schools for their patience while we expand the system to meet the high demand and for ensuring that the families who are most in need continue to receive the support that they require.
These are rapidly developing circumstances and we will continue to keep the situation under review and to keep Parliament updated accordingly.
As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID-19.
Our latest guidance on providing free school meals at this time is available at the following link:
Through the national voucher scheme, schools and families could initially access eGift cards for Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose and M&S. On Monday 27 April Aldi were added to this scheme and on Wednesday 29 April McColl’s were also added. As of the 7th May, Edenred report that £58 million has been converted into supermarket vouchers by families and schools. We recognise that it may not be convenient or possible for some families to visit one of these supermarkets and we are continuing to work to see if additional supermarkets can be added to this list.
If families are not able to access any of the supermarkets which are part of the national voucher scheme, schools are able to purchase vouchers directly for alternative supermarkets. Schools can be reimbursed for the cost of these alternatives through the schools coronavirus exceptional costs fund, up to £15 per pupil per week. This funding covers unavoidable additional costs incurred due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources.
These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.