Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether further education colleges are allowed access to borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) provides loans to local authorities, and other specified bodies, from the National Loans Fund, operating within a policy framework set by HM Treasury. This borrowing is for capital projects.
Colleges cannot borrow from PWLB as this is considered beyond the PWLB’s remit.
The department has designed a package of measures to enable colleges to continue to invest in their estates.
The department is taking a number of steps to assist the sector with funding, including providing colleges with additional capital grant allocations totalling £150 million. Individual college allocations were published in December and will be paid from April. The full list is on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fe-capital-funding#additional-fe-capital-funding-for-the-2022-to-2023-financial-year.
The department is also bringing forward £300 million in payments from the 2023/2024 financial year into the 2022/2023 financial year to cover the shortfall that providers experience in February and March 2023. This means making additional payments to institutions in February and March.
The Department’s officials are working on options to support the delivery of capital projects by the sector. One of these options is a possible department-backed loans scheme for colleges that were intending to borrow commercially in order to fund a capital project.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2022 to Question 37614 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Brentford and Isleworth constituency had at least one construction element in (a) condition grade C and (b) condition grade D when that data was collated; and which of those schools (a) have already received funding from the School Rebuilding Programme and (b) are expected to receive funding from the School Rebuilding Programme in the next two years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.
The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.
Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The Department is still preparing the data and will publish it as soon as possible.
Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.
The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.
The following table shows the constituencies specified that have schools or colleges selected for the SRP:
Parliamentary constituency | Schools selected for SRP |
Wakefield | Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College, announced December 2022 |
Stockton North | St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, announced July 2021 St Paul's Catholic Primary School, announced July 2021 |
The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.
Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve communications from her Department to (a) secondary schools and (b) boards of governors on changes to governors boards regulations.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is committed to providing excellent communication with secondary schools and boards of governors across the UK. Through the ‘Get Information About Schools’ site on GOV.UK, schools and trusts are required to provide the Department with up-to-date contact details. The site is available at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.
The Department uses this information to routinely inform governors of any changes that may affect them, such as changes to model articles. The Department issues a quarterly ‘Governance Update’ email, which is sent directly to over 100,000 individual governors, as well as being published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-governance-update.
Governor board regulations have not changed for maintained schools since 2016.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 September 2022 to Question 51633 on solar power, how many school buildings in Brentford and Isleworth constituency were inspected as part of the Condition Data Programme survey.
Answered by Jonathan Gullis
The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.
The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.
The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.
The Department has no plans to make a statement.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 27 September 2022 to Question 51628 on Schools: Buildings, which schools in Brentford and Isleworth constituency have one or more buildings classified in Category D of condition need; how long each of those buildings has been classified in that category; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jonathan Gullis
The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.
The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.
The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.
The Department has no plans to make a statement.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) Ofsted-registered childminders are working and (b) children aged (i) 1-3 (ii) 4-11 are living in Brentford and Isleworth constituency; what assessment he has made of the adequacy of childcare provision in that constituency; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
A breakdown in the number of Ofsted-registered childminders who are working, and the number of children aged 1-3 and 4-11 by parliamentary constituency and local authorities requested, can be found in the attached table. Childminders are generally the most affordable and flexible form of childcare and form an important part of the broader childcare market.
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. At present, all local authorities report that they are fulfilling their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the impact of inflation on the adequacy of the amount offered by student maintenance loans.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Ministers consider changes to support arrangements for students in higher education (HE) on an annual basis. The department is currently reviewing options for uprating maximum grants and loans for the 2023/24 academic year.
Upfront loans are available as a contribution towards undergraduate students’ living costs while attending university, with the most support available for students from the lowest income backgrounds.
Maximum grants and loans for living costs were increased by 3.1% this academic year, 2021/22, and the department has announced that they will increase by a further 2.3% in the 2022/23 academic year. In addition, we are freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By the 2024/25 academic year, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
In the department’s guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2021/22 financial year, we made clear that the OfS should protect the £256 million allocation for the student premiums to support disadvantaged students and those that need additional help. The 2022/23 financial year guidance to the OfS confirms universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through the student premium. Ministers’ Strategic Priorities Grant guidance letter to the OfS asks that the OfS looks to protect the student premium in cash terms for the 2022/23 financial year.
Alongside this, the government is also making available discretionary funding of £144 million to support to support those ineligible for council tax, including students, vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes.
The government has also announced that households will get £400 of support with their energy bills through an expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme. As well as doubling the £200 of support announced earlier this year, the full £400 payment will now be made as a grant, which will not be recovered through higher bills in future years.
The department has secured up to £75 million to deliver a National Scholarship Scheme which will support high-achieving, disadvantaged students to reach their full potential whilst studying in HE. This scholarship aims to address the ongoing financial barriers that can restrict high-achieving, disadvantaged students from achieving their full academic potential whilst studying in HE and is in addition to the significant sector interventions already in place.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional financial support his Department provided to higher education students.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Ministers consider changes to support arrangements for students in higher education (HE) on an annual basis. The department is currently reviewing options for uprating maximum grants and loans for the 2023/24 academic year.
Upfront loans are available as a contribution towards undergraduate students’ living costs while attending university, with the most support available for students from the lowest income backgrounds.
Maximum grants and loans for living costs were increased by 3.1% this academic year, 2021/22, and the department has announced that they will increase by a further 2.3% in the 2022/23 academic year. In addition, we are freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By the 2024/25 academic year, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
In the department’s guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2021/22 financial year, we made clear that the OfS should protect the £256 million allocation for the student premiums to support disadvantaged students and those that need additional help. The 2022/23 financial year guidance to the OfS confirms universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through the student premium. Ministers’ Strategic Priorities Grant guidance letter to the OfS asks that the OfS looks to protect the student premium in cash terms for the 2022/23 financial year.
Alongside this, the government is also making available discretionary funding of £144 million to support to support those ineligible for council tax, including students, vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes.
The government has also announced that households will get £400 of support with their energy bills through an expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme. As well as doubling the £200 of support announced earlier this year, the full £400 payment will now be made as a grant, which will not be recovered through higher bills in future years.
The department has secured up to £75 million to deliver a National Scholarship Scheme which will support high-achieving, disadvantaged students to reach their full potential whilst studying in HE. This scholarship aims to address the ongoing financial barriers that can restrict high-achieving, disadvantaged students from achieving their full academic potential whilst studying in HE and is in addition to the significant sector interventions already in place.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of student maintenance loans; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Ministers consider changes to support arrangements for students in higher education (HE) on an annual basis. The department is currently reviewing options for uprating maximum grants and loans for the 2023/24 academic year.
Upfront loans are available as a contribution towards undergraduate students’ living costs while attending university, with the most support available for students from the lowest income backgrounds.
Maximum grants and loans for living costs were increased by 3.1% this academic year, 2021/22, and the department has announced that they will increase by a further 2.3% in the 2022/23 academic year. In addition, we are freezing maximum tuition fees for the 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By the 2024/25 academic year, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
In the department’s guidance to the Office for Students (OfS) on funding for the 2021/22 financial year, we made clear that the OfS should protect the £256 million allocation for the student premiums to support disadvantaged students and those that need additional help. The 2022/23 financial year guidance to the OfS confirms universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through the student premium. Ministers’ Strategic Priorities Grant guidance letter to the OfS asks that the OfS looks to protect the student premium in cash terms for the 2022/23 financial year.
Alongside this, the government is also making available discretionary funding of £144 million to support to support those ineligible for council tax, including students, vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes.
The government has also announced that households will get £400 of support with their energy bills through an expansion of the Energy Bills Support Scheme. As well as doubling the £200 of support announced earlier this year, the full £400 payment will now be made as a grant, which will not be recovered through higher bills in future years.
The department has secured up to £75 million to deliver a National Scholarship Scheme which will support high-achieving, disadvantaged students to reach their full potential whilst studying in HE. This scholarship aims to address the ongoing financial barriers that can restrict high-achieving, disadvantaged students from achieving their full academic potential whilst studying in HE and is in addition to the significant sector interventions already in place.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of (a) higher education institutions and (b) student unions on the availability of support for students with energy bills.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Up-front loans are available as a contribution towards students’ living costs while attending university with the most support available for students from the lowest income backgrounds.
Maximum grants and loans for living costs were increased by 3.1% this academic year, and we have announced that they will increase by a further 2.3% next year, the largest ever amounts of support in cash terms. In addition, we are freezing maximum tuition fees for 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years. By 2024/25, maximum fees will have been frozen for seven years.
The government recognises many households will need support to deal with rising energy costs, which are being affected by global factors and has therefore announced a package of support to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in the 2022/23 financial year.
This includes a £200 discount on energy bills this Autumn for domestic electricity customers in Great Britain which will be paid back automatically over the next five years and a £150 non-repayable Council Tax Rebate payment for all households that are liable for Council Tax in Bands A-D in England.
The government is also making available discretionary funding of £144 million to be provided to support vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes.
Many providers have hardship funds that students can apply to for assistance should individuals’ finances be affected in the 2021/22 academic year.
Grant funding to the Office for Students (OfS) for the 2021/22 financial year included an allocation of £5 million to HE providers in England in order to provide additional support for student hardship.
In our guidance to the OfS on funding for the 2021/22 financial year we made clear that the OfS should protect the £256 million allocation for the student premiums to support disadvantaged students and those that need additional help. The 2022/23 financial year guidance to the OfS confirms universities will continue to be able to support students in hardship through the student premium. Ministers’ Strategic Priorities Grant guidance letter to the OfS asks that the OfS looks to protect the student premium in cash terms for the 2022/23 financial year.
Advice is available from providers and from other sources online to help students manage their money while they are attending their courses.