Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help increase the number of construction apprenticeships in (a) Slough constituency and (b) the South East.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government has committed to widening the apprenticeships offer into a growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners across the country, including in Slough and the South East. It will also align with the industrial strategy, creating routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries, such as construction.
As a first step, this will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high-quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country and providing high quality entry pathways for young people.
In addition, as part of this government’s ambitious plan to rebuild Britain and deliver 1.5 million homes in England in this Parliament, 32 new Homebuilding Skills Hubs will deliver fast-track training in critical areas such as bricklaying, groundwork, and site carpentry to boost housebuilding and drive forward the government’s growth mission. Hubs will be established in areas where large-scale homebuilding projects lead to a surge in demand. These Hubs will help deliver around 5,000 more construction apprenticeship places per year by 2027/28, through a £140 million industry investment to get Britain building again.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national plan for religious education.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Religious education (RE) is an important subject that should provide pupils with an opportunity to learn about a wide range of religious and non-religious beliefs. RE should help pupils to better understand the values and traditions of different religious communities, which is why it remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18.
The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review led by Professor Becky Francis. It will publish an interim report in the early spring and a final report with recommendations later this year.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will review school food standards to ensure they adequately address the nutritional content of meals provided in breakfast clubs.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to delivering on our pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary aged children. We have made fast progress with up to 750 schools starting to deliver from this April. Free, universal breakfast clubs will mean that every primary school child, no matter their circumstances, is well prepared to learn, including through the provision of a healthy, nutritious breakfast, giving children the energy they need to start the school day.
The school food standards, which regulate the food and drink provided at school, already apply to breakfasts. The standards restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods, and ensures that pupils always have healthy options.
Alongside the existing ‘School food standards’ statutory guidance, earlier this month we published guidance for the early adopter schools, which provides additional helpful guidance on which foods should be served at breakfast clubs to ensure that the school food standards are met.
More broadly, the department’s aim is to deliver better life chances for all through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to the school food standards under continued review.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure meals provided in free breakfast clubs meet nutritional guidelines set for schools.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to delivering on our pledge to provide free breakfast clubs in every state-funded school with primary aged children. We have made fast progress with up to 750 schools starting to deliver from this April. Free, universal breakfast clubs will mean that every primary school child, no matter their circumstances, is well prepared to learn, including through the provision of a healthy, nutritious breakfast, giving children the energy they need to start the school day.
The school food standards, which regulate the food and drink provided at school, already apply to breakfasts. The standards restrict foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods, and ensures that pupils always have healthy options.
Alongside the existing ‘School food standards’ statutory guidance, earlier this month we published guidance for the early adopter schools, which provides additional helpful guidance on which foods should be served at breakfast clubs to ensure that the school food standards are met.
More broadly, the department’s aim is to deliver better life chances for all through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to the school food standards under continued review.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that there is equal service provision by local authorities for the (a) issuing and (b) delivery of education, health and care plans.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to work with a wide range of partners, including schools and colleges, health and social care partners and, crucially, parents and young people, to develop their Local Offer of services and provision for special educational needs (SEN). This recognises the differing circumstances of each local area and places decision-making with the local authority. In responding to different local needs, the department would expect to see variation in the way needs are met across local authorities, including variation in the rates of education, health and care (EHC) plans.
Local authorities have a statutory responsibility to assess whether children and young people have SEN that require an EHC plan. A local authority must conduct an EHC needs assessment if the child or young person has or may have SEN and it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made in accordance with an EHC plan.
If the local authority issues an EHC plan, it must secure the special educational provision it specifies, working with its health and social care partners, who have separate duties.
Local authorities identified as having issues with EHC plan timeliness are subject to additional monitoring by the department who work with the specific local authority. Where the department has concerns about the local authority’s capacity to make the required improvements, it has secured specialist special educational needs and disabilities advisor support to help identify the barriers to EHC plan process timeliness and put in place practical plans for recovery.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on increased demand for SEN support in schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Over the last ten years there has been an international increase in identified special educational needs (SEN). Between 2016/17 and 2021/22, England saw a 40% increase in the percentage of pupils with an official SEN designation, whilst France saw a 49% increase and Germany a 19%.
Improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools is a key part of this government’s ambition to ensure that all children and young people receive the support they need, in the most appropriate setting. Conversations are ongoing between the department and the Department for Health and Social Care, including at Ministerial level, as we work closely on addressing the increased demand for SEN support in schools.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the (a) support and (b) guidance available to (i) parents and (ii) guardians of children who require an Education, Health and Care Plan to navigate the process.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department is aware of the challenges that families face in accessing support for children and young people through the long, difficult and adversarial education, health and care (EHC) plan process.
The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice is clear that local authorities must consult and work collaboratively with children, young people and their parents throughout the process of assessment and production of an EHC plan. This statutory guidance can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7dcb85ed915d2ac884d995/SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf. The department recognises that more efficient and effective communication with schools and families is pivotal to rebuilding and reforming this system. We have listened to parents, local authority colleagues, and partners across education, health and social care and are considering carefully how to address and improve the experience of the EHC plan process for families, including reflecting on what practice could or should be made consistent nationally.
Under the Children and Families Act (2014) it is a legal requirement that all local authorities have a Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS). This is to ensure families are provided with the support necessary to enable them to participate in discussions and decisions about their support, for example through their EHC plan, and strategically, for example through SEND local offers.
The department funds training and support for SENDIASS services through a contract with specialist charities which supports parents and carers of children with SEND. This contract is led by Contact, a national charity who support families with SEND. In addition, Contact also runs a national telephone helpline which offers impartial support and advice on SEND.
The department also provides grant funding to Parent Carer Forums throughout England who provide a supportive forum for parents. They work alongside local authorities, education, health and other service providers to ensure the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor, meet the needs of children and families locally.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of local councils who have failed to meet the time limit of 20 weeks for the issuing of an Education, Health and Care Plan within the last year.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Information on the number and percentage of education, health and care plans issued within the statutory 20 week deadline, with and without statutory exceptions to that deadline applying, is published as part of the statistical release, ‘Education, health and care plans – reporting year 2024’, which can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans.
The figures for each local authority for the 2023 calendar year can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/7b372ed7-8c76-42df-5a32-08dd3479441b.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is for implementing alternative student finance following the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement in the 2025-26 academic year.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to introducing an alternative student finance (ASF) product, compatible with Islamic finance principles, as quickly as we can. To support this, the department has reconvened an expert working group made up of representatives from the Islamic community and the finance sector. The department has also appointed a secretariat to take forward the certification of the product as compatible with Islamic finance principles.
The delivery of the ASF product will need to follow the introduction of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), which will replace the existing student finance system when introduced. The first LLE-funded courses and modules will begin in January 2027 and the department intends to introduce ASF as soon as possible after this.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to increase awareness of financial support available to students.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Information on the student support package for the 2024/25 academic year, is available on GOV.UK at: https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/currently-a-student/.
The higher education (HE) sector needs a secure financial footing to face the challenges of the next decade, and to ensure that all students have confidence that they will receive the world-class HE experience they deserve.
In line with this approach, on 4 November 2024, this government announced that from 1 August 2025 it will be increasing both the maximum cap for tuition fees, and maintenance loans for students, in line with inflation.
There is much more to do to expand access and improve outcomes for disadvantaged students. That is why we have announced that we expect the HE sector to do more to support students by working with the government and the Office for Students, and by making the most of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. We will be setting out longer-term plans for the sector next year.
Further information for prospective students is provided on the Student Finance England website, available here: https://studentfinance.campaign.gov.uk/student-toolkit/.
The government will announce further details of the student finance package for the 2025/26 academic year soon.