Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether proposed changes to who can object to school admissions arrangements will have a disproportionate impact on parents from low income backgrounds.
Answered by Lord Nash
Our proposed changes are intended to ensure that the Adjudicator is able to focus on the concerns parents may have about the fairness of the admission arrangements of their local school. We do not want parents’ objections to be held up by the need to also consider objections referred by interest groups from outside the area.
It will remain open for local authorities to object to the Adjudicator about schools’ admission arrangements as the champion of local parents. Preventing interest groups from submitting objections will not have a detrimental impact on lower income families.
We will conduct a full public consultation in due course and will give careful consideration to all the views expressed in that consultation.
Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children seeking asylum in the UK they estimate not to be in education, and for how long; and what steps they plan to take to tackle this issue.
Answered by Lord Bates
Education is a devolved matter. Parents of children of compulsory school age have a duty to ensure their children receive a full time education suitable to the children’s age, ability, aptitude and any special education need the children might have, either by regular attendance at a school or otherwise.
Where a child of compulsory school age (including children of asylum seekers) is not registered at a school or receiving an education other than at a school, the relevant local authority has the power to require that parent to satisfy them as to the suitability of the education being provided for that child.
If they are not satisfied then the local authority can require the child to register at a named school. However, the issue of education provision for children seeking asylum is an important one and the Home Office makes every effort to ensure that families with children who claim asylum support have access to education at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pupils in Pupil Referral Units are reintegrated into mainstream education annually, and what support is available for that to happen.
Answered by Lord Nash
Every child, including those who have been excluded, should receive a good quality education to allow them to achieve their full potential. Information on the number of pupils in pupil referral units (PRUs) reintegrated into mainstream education annually is not readily available and it could only be determined at a disproportionate cost.
PRUs and other alternative providers should work with commissioners to develop a clearly defined set of objectives for each pupil’s time in alternative provision and their reintegration into mainstream education. Progress against these objectives should be frequently monitored and assessed to ensure that pupils’ needs are being addressed and they return to mainstream school when they are ready. An appropriate package of support should be in place to assist in the reintegration process.
The Department has published statutory guidance in 2013 on alternative provision with clearly defined objectives for commissioners of PRUs and alternative provision (AP) to support pupils back into school after an alternative education placement. A copy has been attached to this answer.
Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why pupils not attending school due to health needs are not entitled to the pupil premium.
Answered by Lord Nash
This Government is determined that all children, regardless of their circumstances, should receive a good education. Where a child of compulsory school age would not receive suitable education due to health needs, local authorities have a duty to ensure that alternative arrangements are put in place. Local authorities are funded to make these arrangements through their high needs budgets.
The pupil premium is additional funding that recognises the further barriers to educational achievement faced by disadvantaged pupils. Disadvantaged pupils who are unable to attend school because of health needs continue to attract the pupil premium. The premium is paid to all state funded schools with eligible pupils, including special schools, special academies, pupil referral units and alternative provision academies. Where eligible pupils are recorded on the alternative provision census as receiving other forms of alternative provision then the pupil premium is paid to the local authority. Information about pupil premium funding arrangements can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and-alternative-provision-settings
Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children's centres have closed in the last year, and how many will close in 2016.
Answered by Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
In 2015, 144 children’s centres closed. The Department does not routinely collect data on the number of anticipated closures but expects local authorities to fulfil their duties under the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure sufficient children’s centres to meet the needs of local families. Local authorities must consult fully before any significant changes are made to children’s centre services.
Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding exists to provide early years education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs.
Answered by Lord Nash
The Department funds local authorities for high needs provision through the Dedicated Schools Grant. Local authorities have reported that they are planning to spend £11.62 million from this grant on children in their early years and £72.48 million on hospital education. Local authorities are able to allocate some of this funding to children who cannot attend school because of health needs.
We are not able to provide a response with an amount allocated specifically to these children as the needs of children varies amongst different local authorities, and therefore it is right that decision making on allocation of funding for special educational needs and disabilities is made at a local level.
Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they make of (1) the case for improved commuter services from Manchester to Clitheroe, (2) the case for improved commuter services from Manchester to Burnley, and (3) the case for restoring the rail link from Manchester to Rawtenstall.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Her Majesty’s Government has recently concluded a consultation on the future of the Northern and TransPennine Express rail franchises. We are currently analysing the responses and considering options for the specifications for these franchises, including those between Manchester and Clitheroe and Manchester and Burnley, which we expect to publish in the Invitations to Tender for both franchises in December this year.
The case for restoring the rail link from Bury to Rawtenstall (part of the East Lancashire heritage railway) is being considered as part of the A56/M66 Haslingden/Rawtenstall to Manchester gateway study to be carried out by Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.
Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for improving inter-regional rail links in the North West of England, particularly between East Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
The case for improving inter-regional rail links in the North West of England has been assessed in a number of studies including the Northern Hub and Network Rail’s Lancashire and Cumbria and North-West Route Utilisation strategies. The case will be further addressed in respect of Network Rail’s Control Period 6 (2019-2024) and beyond through the Northern Route Study as part of Network Rail’s Long Term Planning Process to inform decisions on the Government’s Rail Investment Strategy for Control Period 6.
Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to improve rail links between East Lancashire and Manchester; and what factors were considered when making judgements about which projects to support.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
Plans to improve rail links between East Lancashire and Manchester including the scheme to install a two-mile loop between Darwen and Sough tunnel (near Entwistle) to facilitate additional services between Blackburn and Manchester and the introduction of improved Burnley – Manchester services using the recently-constructed curve at Todmorden are being promoted by the relevant local authorities. The judgement of which projects to support is a matter for the promoters.
Asked by: Baroness Massey of Darwen (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many representations have been made to Ministers at the Department for Transport by Members of Parliament about regional rail link improvements from Manchester to East Lancashire since May 2010 including (1) to Clitheroe, (2) to Burnley, and (3) to Rawtenstall.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
A number of representations have been made by Members of Parliament since May 2010 concerning rail improvements in the North-West. In addition there has been one Adjournment Debate on improving rail services between Clitheroe, Blackburn and Manchester, one letter regarding improvements to Clitheroe, twelve Parliamentary Questions and six letters concerning the Todmorden curve or services to Burnley, and two Parliamentary Questions concerning the Rawtenstall rail extension project.