Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she take steps to delegate powers to local authorities to (a) identify and (b) automatically register all children eligible for free school meals.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
There are currently around 2.1 million pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM). The department recognises the vital role played by FSM and encourages all eligible families to take up their entitlement. To make this as easy as possible the department provides the Eligibility Checking System, which allows local authorities to quickly verify eligibility for FSM.
The department is aware of a range of measures aimed at maximising take up of FSM, including through approaches being trialled by local authorities. We welcome local authorities taking action to ensure government support reaches families, subject to them meeting legal and data-protections requirements.
In addition to FSM, the department supports families through the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides free childcare places, enriching activities and healthy meals to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning throughout the school holidays.
We are also rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school, so children start the day ready to learn. This is part of the department‘s commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that all children have the freedom to achieve and thrive in education.
The department is also working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop a child poverty strategy to reduce child poverty by tackling its root causes and giving every child the best start in life. The strategy will be published in the spring.
As with all government programmes, the department will keep its approach to FSM under continued review.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps with local authorities to extend provision of free school meals to school holidays.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
There are currently around 2.1 million pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals (FSM). The department recognises the vital role played by FSM and encourages all eligible families to take up their entitlement. To make this as easy as possible the department provides the Eligibility Checking System, which allows local authorities to quickly verify eligibility for FSM.
The department is aware of a range of measures aimed at maximising take up of FSM, including through approaches being trialled by local authorities. We welcome local authorities taking action to ensure government support reaches families, subject to them meeting legal and data-protections requirements.
In addition to FSM, the department supports families through the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides free childcare places, enriching activities and healthy meals to children from low-income families, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning throughout the school holidays.
We are also rolling out free breakfast clubs in every primary school, so children start the day ready to learn. This is part of the department‘s commitment to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that all children have the freedom to achieve and thrive in education.
The department is also working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to develop a child poverty strategy to reduce child poverty by tackling its root causes and giving every child the best start in life. The strategy will be published in the spring.
As with all government programmes, the department will keep its approach to FSM under continued review.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps has her Department is taking with the Teacher's Pension Scheme to reduce the time taken to provide pension valuations for teachers undergoing divorce proceedings.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department is aware of a backlog with the number of outstanding Cash Equivalent Transfer Value figures that are used by members in divorce proceedings. The backlog has arisen as a result of the Transitional Protection (McCloud) remedy and the need for complex guidance to be provided before affected cases could be processed by the scheme administrator.
The scheme administrator has undertaken IT development to help expedite these cases in order to increase capacity. Discussions are ongoing regarding any additional efficiencies and resource that can be used, as the department appreciates the impact that a delay has on members in these circumstances.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for making free breakfast clubs available in every primary school.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life. Breakfast clubs will remove barriers to opportunity by ensuring every child, no matter their circumstances, is set-up for the day and ready to learn by providing a supportive start to the day. The government is committed to making quick progress to deliver on its commitment to offer breakfast clubs in every primary school.
The department has taken decisive action by announcing in the King’s Speech that, under the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, every primary school in England will offer a breakfast club. Legislating for breakfast club provision will give schools the certainty they need to plan for the future. Before the legislation comes into force, the department will work closely with the sector to make sure the right support, including funding, guidance and resources are in place.
Asked by: Simon Opher (Labour - Stroud)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to reform the rules around the leasing of solar panels on school rooftops.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Rules around schools entering into leases fall within the remit of the department. Schools may enter into leases for solar panels on school rooftops where the arrangements do not constitute borrowing, but as these often require granting an energy company rights over the roof space and school land, schools must involve the department. The process for gaining consent has recently been simplified, and the department receives around 20 to 30 applications per year.
Where a solar panel arrangement does constitute borrowing, this would require specific approval by exception. The department is aware of an increasing amount of interest in this area from schools and suppliers and is engaging with the sector to look at how it can further support schools in the move to solar.