Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of not-for-profit organisations on helping to deliver a programme of activities for children and young people for summer 2021.

Ensuring that children and young people have access to activities this summer which support their physical and mental health and wellbeing is a priority for the Government. This is especially important as many children and young people have missed out on vital education and social experiences which support their educational and personal development.

The Department is delivering a number of programmes this summer to support this aim, including the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme and the summer schools programme, which will form part of a broader programme of enrichment activities running over the summer to support children, young people and their families.

The HAF programme provides healthy food and enriching activities during the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays, giving disadvantaged children and young people opportunities they might otherwise miss. In order to support local authority HAF co-ordinators in delivering well-rounded and engaging programmes for the children and young people in their area, we have engaged with a variety of national organisations and groups, such as Sport England, Arts Council England and the National Citizens Service. We have worked with our national partners to provide local authorities with advice, support and information on a range of topics, communicated through guidance, newsletters, resource packs and webinars.

The Department is also working closely with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on a broader programme of enrichment activities, events and resources that will be available for children and young people during the school summer holidays. As part of this work, the Department has been engaging with a number of organisations including the National Literacy Trust, Royal Society and Play England.