Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department is providing to outdoor residential centres offering overnight educational visits that are unable to reopen as a result of covid-19 social distancing measures.

The Department’s educational visits advice, ‘Guidance for full opening: schools’, is in line with guidance from Public Health England, the Cabinet Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools, and will be updated to reflect the national restrictions in place from 5 November. In addition to that update, the longer-term position regarding overnight educational visits is being reviewed in November.

The Department continues to work with representatives of the tour industry, devolved administrations, trade unions and other Government Departments as it works towards the November review.

The Government has made a number of support measures available to UK businesses. More information on business support can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support.

Information about the extension of the furlough scheme can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/furlough-scheme-extended-and-further-economic-support-announced.