Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the Church of England, (b) the Roman Catholic Church and (c) representatives of non-conformist churches on changes to the Listed Places of Worship Scheme.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government holds a range of meetings with representatives of religious organisations. DCMS officials have met with the Church of England and Catholic Bishops’ Conference to discuss the changes and ministers have exchanged correspondence with representatives from most denominations.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many meetings she had had in the last six months with Historic England on listed places of worship that are at risk.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
I have met with Historic England several times formally and informally since July 2024 when we have discussed a wide range of issues affecting heritage buildings, heritage at risk and planning reform. These discussions have also included discussions on listed places of worship that are at risk.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) the Church of England, (b) the Roman Catholic Church and (c) representatives of non-conformist churches on funding for the (i) restoration and (ii) preservation of historic buildings.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS leads on heritage policy covering a wide range of historic buildings; representatives from the churches have largely restricted their comments to matters of repair and renovation works to listed places of worship.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent correspondence she has received from Historic England on the Listed Places of Worship scheme.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
None.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to take steps to ensure that young performers are positively recorded in the absent register following the passage of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The existing legislation on child performance is already sufficient. Under S37 of the Children and Young Persons Act (1963), a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling.
The licensing system is administered by local authorities. A licence will only be granted by the local authority once it is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The current system provides a check that those responsible for such activities make suitable arrangements to safeguard the children involved and that any potential risks are mitigated. The needs of children, their wellbeing and education are paramount. Indeed, producers and organisers have a responsibility to ensure that each child is kept safe and that their education does not suffer.
All schools can grant leaves of absence for pupils to participate in a regulated performance (paid or unpaid) during school hours. Schools maintained by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority can only do so in the following circumstances, under regulation 11(2) of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024:
On each occasion that schools take the attendance register they must record whether each registered pupil is physically present in school or, if not, the reason they are not in school by using the appropriate national attendance and absence codes from regulation 10 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024.
The Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014 set out details of what safeguards must be in place to ensure that children do not perform excessively, limits are placed on performance duration, and requirements for breaks are set out, as well as ensuring that children do not also work on days that they are performing. They also set out arrangements for tutoring should they be absent from school to ensure that their education does not suffer. Requirements for chaperones, travel, changing, and accommodation arrangements are also defined. The premises for any performance must also be approved by the local authority.
These regulations are vital to children performing in a safe environment whilst ensuring that their education and wellbeing does not suffer.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is also strengthening child employment legislation, giving greater opportunities for meaningful suitable employment to children, whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development, and education.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill on local authority licensing for young performers who are absent from schools for performing engagements.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The existing legislation on child performance is already sufficient. Under S37 of the Children and Young Persons Act (1963), a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling.
The licensing system is administered by local authorities. A licence will only be granted by the local authority once it is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The current system provides a check that those responsible for such activities make suitable arrangements to safeguard the children involved and that any potential risks are mitigated. The needs of children, their wellbeing and education are paramount. Indeed, producers and organisers have a responsibility to ensure that each child is kept safe and that their education does not suffer.
All schools can grant leaves of absence for pupils to participate in a regulated performance (paid or unpaid) during school hours. Schools maintained by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority can only do so in the following circumstances, under regulation 11(2) of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024:
On each occasion that schools take the attendance register they must record whether each registered pupil is physically present in school or, if not, the reason they are not in school by using the appropriate national attendance and absence codes from regulation 10 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024.
The Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014 set out details of what safeguards must be in place to ensure that children do not perform excessively, limits are placed on performance duration, and requirements for breaks are set out, as well as ensuring that children do not also work on days that they are performing. They also set out arrangements for tutoring should they be absent from school to ensure that their education does not suffer. Requirements for chaperones, travel, changing, and accommodation arrangements are also defined. The premises for any performance must also be approved by the local authority.
These regulations are vital to children performing in a safe environment whilst ensuring that their education and wellbeing does not suffer.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is also strengthening child employment legislation, giving greater opportunities for meaningful suitable employment to children, whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development, and education.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure young performers are (a) not (i) overworked and (ii) financially abused and (b) otherwise safeguarded in the context of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The existing legislation on child performance is already sufficient. Under S37 of the Children and Young Persons Act (1963), a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling.
The licensing system is administered by local authorities. A licence will only be granted by the local authority once it is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The current system provides a check that those responsible for such activities make suitable arrangements to safeguard the children involved and that any potential risks are mitigated. The needs of children, their wellbeing and education are paramount. Indeed, producers and organisers have a responsibility to ensure that each child is kept safe and that their education does not suffer.
All schools can grant leaves of absence for pupils to participate in a regulated performance (paid or unpaid) during school hours. Schools maintained by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority can only do so in the following circumstances, under regulation 11(2) of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024:
On each occasion that schools take the attendance register they must record whether each registered pupil is physically present in school or, if not, the reason they are not in school by using the appropriate national attendance and absence codes from regulation 10 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024.
The Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014 set out details of what safeguards must be in place to ensure that children do not perform excessively, limits are placed on performance duration, and requirements for breaks are set out, as well as ensuring that children do not also work on days that they are performing. They also set out arrangements for tutoring should they be absent from school to ensure that their education does not suffer. Requirements for chaperones, travel, changing, and accommodation arrangements are also defined. The premises for any performance must also be approved by the local authority.
These regulations are vital to children performing in a safe environment whilst ensuring that their education and wellbeing does not suffer.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is also strengthening child employment legislation, giving greater opportunities for meaningful suitable employment to children, whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development, and education.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safeguarding provisions in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill for young performers absent from school for work.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The existing legislation on child performance is already sufficient. Under S37 of the Children and Young Persons Act (1963), a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling.
The licensing system is administered by local authorities. A licence will only be granted by the local authority once it is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The current system provides a check that those responsible for such activities make suitable arrangements to safeguard the children involved and that any potential risks are mitigated. The needs of children, their wellbeing and education are paramount. Indeed, producers and organisers have a responsibility to ensure that each child is kept safe and that their education does not suffer.
All schools can grant leaves of absence for pupils to participate in a regulated performance (paid or unpaid) during school hours. Schools maintained by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority can only do so in the following circumstances, under regulation 11(2) of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024:
On each occasion that schools take the attendance register they must record whether each registered pupil is physically present in school or, if not, the reason they are not in school by using the appropriate national attendance and absence codes from regulation 10 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024.
The Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014 set out details of what safeguards must be in place to ensure that children do not perform excessively, limits are placed on performance duration, and requirements for breaks are set out, as well as ensuring that children do not also work on days that they are performing. They also set out arrangements for tutoring should they be absent from school to ensure that their education does not suffer. Requirements for chaperones, travel, changing, and accommodation arrangements are also defined. The premises for any performance must also be approved by the local authority.
These regulations are vital to children performing in a safe environment whilst ensuring that their education and wellbeing does not suffer.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is also strengthening child employment legislation, giving greater opportunities for meaningful suitable employment to children, whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development, and education.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that young performers who are absent from school receive an appropriate education.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The existing legislation on child performance is already sufficient. Under S37 of the Children and Young Persons Act (1963), a licence must be obtained before children can take part in certain types of performance, both professional and amateur, and in paid sport and modelling.
The licensing system is administered by local authorities. A licence will only be granted by the local authority once it is assured that the child’s education, health, and wellbeing will not suffer, and the conditions of the licence will be observed.
The current system provides a check that those responsible for such activities make suitable arrangements to safeguard the children involved and that any potential risks are mitigated. The needs of children, their wellbeing and education are paramount. Indeed, producers and organisers have a responsibility to ensure that each child is kept safe and that their education does not suffer.
All schools can grant leaves of absence for pupils to participate in a regulated performance (paid or unpaid) during school hours. Schools maintained by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority can only do so in the following circumstances, under regulation 11(2) of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024:
On each occasion that schools take the attendance register they must record whether each registered pupil is physically present in school or, if not, the reason they are not in school by using the appropriate national attendance and absence codes from regulation 10 of the School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024.
The Children (Performances and Activities) (England) Regulations 2014 set out details of what safeguards must be in place to ensure that children do not perform excessively, limits are placed on performance duration, and requirements for breaks are set out, as well as ensuring that children do not also work on days that they are performing. They also set out arrangements for tutoring should they be absent from school to ensure that their education does not suffer. Requirements for chaperones, travel, changing, and accommodation arrangements are also defined. The premises for any performance must also be approved by the local authority.
These regulations are vital to children performing in a safe environment whilst ensuring that their education and wellbeing does not suffer.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is also strengthening child employment legislation, giving greater opportunities for meaningful suitable employment to children, whilst ensuring it does not have a negative impact on their health, development, and education.
Asked by: Stuart Andrew (Conservative - Daventry)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to the Listed Places of Worship Scheme on the (a) restoration and (b) preservation of historic buildings.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme was established to provide grants towards VAT paid on repairs and maintenance to the nation's listed places of worship. Based on past claims we estimate that 94% of applications will not be affected by the £25,000 cap.