Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will take steps to ban the use of surveillance cameras made by Hikvision and Dahua in schools in the UK.
Answered by Robin Walker
The department is not able to ban the use of surveillance cameras made by Hikvision and Dahua in schools. Any decision to install CCTV in schools should be taken after careful consideration by the headteacher and governors and after appropriate consultation with pupils and parents. Any CCTV installation must comply with all laws relating to its use.
In January, the government announced the provision of new guidance and support for UK public sector bodies, which will include schools, to exclude suppliers where there is sufficient evidence of human rights violations in any of their supply chains.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Hikvision CCTV or other surveillance software or equipment from Hikvision, is used on any property owned or administered by his Department.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
As has been the case under successive administrations, it is not government policy to comment on the security arrangements of government buildings. Specific details regarding the make and model of security systems are withheld on national security grounds.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) higher and (b) further education establishments have adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
The government has asked all English higher education (HE) providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. The IHRA definition is an important tool in tackling antisemitism. Adopting this widely recognised definition sends a strong signal that HE providers take these issues seriously. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, wrote to HE leaders most recently in October 2020 to reiterate the importance of the definition and to urge all providers to consider adopting it.
The government is pleased to report that at least 91 providers have now adopted the definition, of which 13 are further education colleges , with many more preparing to adopt the definition. The decision on adoption of the definition rests with individual providers. However, the government will continue to urge them to adopt the definition and will ensure that HE is a genuinely fulfilling and welcoming experience for everyone.
I am proud that so many providers have taken a positive step towards eradicating antisemitism by adopting the IHRA definition, but further progress is still needed to stamp it out. This is why, in the Secretary of State’s most recent strategic guidance letter to the OfS, the government asked the OfS to undertake a scoping exercise to identify providers who are reluctant to adopt the definition. The letter asked providers to consider introducing mandatory reporting of antisemitic incident numbers by providers, with the aim of ensuring a robust evidence base, which the OfS can then use to effectively regulate in this area.
The Secretary of State also asked the OfS to ensure that, if antisemitic incidents do occur at a provider, they should consider if it is relevant in a particular case whether the provider has adopted the IHRA definition when considering which sanctions, including monetary penalties, would be appropriate to apply.
We will continue to work across the government to ensure that racism and religious hatred of any kind is not tolerated anywhere, including in our world-leading universities.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Education:
What steps his Department has taken to provide financial support to schools for non-covid-19 related emergencies during 2020.
Answered by Gavin Williamson
During an emergency situation, responsibility and liability for school buildings remains with the responsible body, whether that be the local authority or academy trust. The local authority (no matter the governance of the school(s) impacted) also has the responsibility to ensure that sufficient pupil places are made available for children in the area.
Whilst responsibility sits with those bodies, the Department for Education has a clear interest in the safety of pupils and staff and ensuring that the education system functions appropriately. In emergency situations, the department works with responsible bodies to understand what support or advice is needed on an individual basis.
Responsible bodies will need to contact their own insurers to understand the financial support available to them in the first instance. The department also provides an alternative to commercial insurance via the Risk Protection Arrangement and we have been able to support many schools through this.