Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 15 of the National Food Strategy, whether he plans to implement the recommendation that the School Food Standards should be updated.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The School Food Standards provide the legislative framework to ensure schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. The School Food Standards are in line with current government advice on red and processed meat, encouraging schools to serve it in moderation as a good source of nutrients, including iron, zinc and vitamin B12.
Work to update the standards was paused during the COVID-19 outbreak. We do however keep this position under review, and are working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to carefully consider the National Food Strategy’s recommendations and will respond in full with a White Paper in due course.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
What recent discussions he has had with Public Health England on updating school food standards.
Answered by Vicky Ford
On 7 May and 6 November 2019 we brought together an advisory group comprising of key stakeholders in the food, nutrition and health sectors who hold a wide breadth of knowledge and expertise in relation to school food. This was to discuss the proposed updates to the standards.
Due to the priority of responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and the pressures on schools this presents, and considering the robustness of the existing standards, the government have paused taking further action during the course of the COVID-19 outbreak on updating the School Food Standards. I have also discussed this with the Chief Nutritionist who confirmed that the top priority should be to ensure that schools comply with the current standards fully. Ministers have been clear throughout that schools should continue to ensure that the existing school food standards are fully adhered to across the school day. On 24 March 2021 I wrote to all schools to remind them of their obligations under the standards and encouraging the provision of hot meals where possible.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the covid-19 guidance for early years and childcare providers, whether church-based childcare groups are permitted to resume under the covid-19 tier restrictions.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The guidance entitled ‘Local restriction tiers: what you need to know’ sets out the local restriction tier system in place from Wednesday 2 December and includes what can and cannot be done in each tier.
There are exemptions that apply to all tiers, including for places of worship, that allow childcare, education, or training (meaning education and training provided as part of a formal curriculum) and supervised activities provided for children to operate. This includes wraparound care (before and after-school childcare), groups and activities for under 18s, and children’s playgroups.
Further information on this guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#exemptions.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will place in the Library a digitised map of all Church Commissioner landholdings.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
The land holdings owned by the Church Commissioners have to a large extent been registered with the Land Registry, and information on those holdings is publicly available via the Land Registry.
To compile and publish a digitised map of all land holdings in the manner requested would incur a disproportionate cost to the Church Commissioners.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether (a) Saturday theatre schools and (b) out of school theatre classes are permitted to continue throughout the November 2020 lockdown restrictions.
Answered by Nick Gibb
On Saturday 31 October, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, announced New National Restrictions from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December to control the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday 4 November, the Department published guidance for education and childcare settings on the impact of these restrictions. The guidance can be found here: www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020.
Where educational provision is taking place outside of school, this should only operate where it is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, search for work, attend education or training, or where the provision is used for the purposes of respite care, including for vulnerable children. This includes provision by supplementary schools offering music or performing arts activities for children on a part-time basis.
Out-of-school activities that are primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a full-time education (which can include supplementary schools, tuition centres, or private tutors) may also continue to operate.
All other out of school activities, not being primarily used by parents for these purposes, should close for face to face provision, but can offer remote education for the duration of the New National Restrictions.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2020 to Question 51681, what progress he has made with Public Health England on updating School Food Standards based on refreshed Government dietary recommendations.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We already have very robust school food standards set in legislation, which require school caterers to serve healthy and nutritious food and drinks, to ensure children get the energy and nutrition they need across the school day. We are working closely with schools to ensure these are consistently followed.
As schools and their kitchens are now open, healthy and nutritious meals are available for all pupils. We have asked schools to work with their existing suppliers to provide meals or food parcels to pupils eligible for benefits-related free school meals where they are self-isolating. LACA and Public Health England have published advice to schools to help them prepare healthy food parcels, which is available here:
https://laca.co.uk/laca-view/free-school-meals-guidance-producing-food-parcels.
Due to the priority of responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, and considering the robustness of the existing standards, the government has no further plans to update the School Food Standards.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on prioritising covid-19 testing for children without covid-19 symptoms who are asked to remain at home as a result of a positive covid-19 case being confirmed in their school bubble.
Answered by Nick Gibb
It is vital that children and school staff only get a test if they develop symptoms of COVID-19, with the exception of those who have specifically been asked to do so by a clinician. The test is most effective for those who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. The latest clinical advice is that testing of individuals without symptoms should be used where clinically appropriate, predominantly for outbreak investigation and infection control. This risk based approach is essential to ensure testing is targeted where it is most effective.
Testing capacity is the highest it has ever been, but there is currently a significant demand for tests. The NHS Test and Trace system must stay focused on testing those with true symptoms of COVID-19.? Anyone who is self isolating as a result of being a close contact of a confirmed case but does not have symptoms should not request a test. This includes if that case was identified in a school or college. All children who are attending an education or childcare setting have access to a test if they display symptoms of COVID-19 and are encouraged to get tested.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether an early years provider can require a child to self-isolate for 14 days before attending its premises after they visit an area in the UK affected by a local lockdown.
Answered by Vicky Ford
In the event that a parent or guardian insisted on a child being at a childcare provider, providers can take the decision to refuse the child if in their reasonable judgement it is necessary to protect their children and staff from infection with COVID-19. Any decision would need to be carefully considered in light of all the circumstances and the public health advice. Children and staff should not attend the setting if they have COVID-19 symptoms or have tested positive in the last 10 days.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to support the families of pupils on free school meals in Bristol East during the school summer holidays in 2020.
Answered by Vicky Ford
I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 23 June 2020 to Question 54195.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department has issued during the covid-19 outbreak on the provision of informal childcare by (a) people who are not in the stringent social distancing category and (b) people over 70 years of age without underlying health problems.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We have issued guidance on formal childcare which can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.
Informal childcare can be provided where the person undertaking the childcare lives as part of the same household as the parents or carers, in line with the government's guidance on staying alert and safe (social distancing) for COVID-19:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing.
The following government guidance on shielding and protecting extremely vulnerable persons should also be taken into consideration:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19.
Frequently asked questions have also been published on what people can and cannot do during COVID-19:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do.