Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to redefine the role of regional schools commissioners during the period of school closures in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

The majority of schools have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic for vulnerable pupils and children of key workers, and as Senior Civil Servants at the Department for Education, Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) have continued to exercise their responsibilities and take decisions on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education.

In addition during this period, RSCs have led virtual Regional Education and Children’s (REACT) teams within the Department for Education and from Ofsted to bring together a wide range of departmental policy and operational interests, in order to provide a coherent interface with local authorities acting in their capacity as local coordinators of the emergency response.