Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how her Department allocated the extra money returned to the Government by local authorities from fines for taking children out of school in each of the last three financial years.

Over the past three financial years, the department has not received revenue from penalty notices issued for school absences. This reflects the system’s design. It is not intended to generate profit, and local authorities must not set income targets. All revenue must be ring-fenced for attendance-related purposes.

Funds should first cover penalty notice administration and prosecution costs. Any surplus must support attendance initiatives that do not involve issuing penalty notices or prosecutions, in line with the statutory attendance guidance.

This revenue must not be absorbed into wider budgets or used for core attendance duties or legal services. It must remain dedicated to attendance functions.

While any surplus at year end must be returned to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, in line with expectation, no surpluses have been returned during the period in question.