Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of staffing levels across the youth estate.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The Youth Custody Service’s first priority is the safety and well-being of the young people in its care. In the current challenging circumstances, that requirement continues to be paramount. Staff retention and recruitment is a challenge in all parts of HMPPS, not only within the youth secure estate. We are actively working to reduce high turnover of staff in the Young Offender Institutions. In addition to changes to national pay progression arrangements, we are focusing on action to improve retention. Exit interviews are made available to every leaver, to help us understand and address the reasons why staff may decide to leave.
Since December 2022, there has been a reduction in resignations by frontline staff across the Young Offender Institution sector. Whilst staffing is challenging in the Secure Training Centre too, this has not affected the levels of regime for education or enrichment available to children.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the number of (a) performing arts teachers and (b) associated curriculum hours in schools and further and higher education institutions.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information relating to ITT recruitment performance in England is published annually in the ITT census, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census/2022-23. In 2022/23, there were 329 postgraduate trainees who started an ITT course in drama, 301 in music, and 1,405 in physical education. Performance versus target in 2022/23 for drama was 113%, for music was 64%, and for physical education was 143%.
Information on the school workforce in England, including the number of subject teachers in state funded secondary schools, is collected each November as part of the annual school workforce census. Information is published in the ‘school workforce in England’ statistical publication, available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england. Those who are designated as teachers of dance are included within the total for physical education/sports teachers.
As of November 2021, there were 8,976 teachers of drama, 7,003 teachers of music, and 23,708 teachers of physical education/sport at Key Stages 3, 4, and 5 in state funded secondary schools in England. In a typical week, they taught 85,003 hours of drama, 86,480 hours of music, and 290,033 hours of physical education/sport. Drama, music and physical education/sport teachers designate any teacher timetabled to teach the subject for any period in a typical week in November. These teachers do not necessarily have a specific post-A level qualification. This timetabling does not cover an entire year of teaching. If there are variations in timetabling across the year, this is not covered in the data available to the Department.
The Department does not hold data on the number of teachers who teach performing arts in further education institutions.
For 2022/23, the Department increased funding for world-leading specialist HE providers by an additional £5 million, from £53 million in 2021/22 to £58 million in 2022/23. This is on top of the increase of £10 million the Department provided in 2021/22. The Department wants to ensure that specialist institutions, many of which specialise in arts provision, receive additional support, and that grant funding is used to effectively support students.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of rises in the cost of living on the uptake of extracurricular performing arts classes in (a) primary, (b) secondary, (c) further and (d) higher education; and whether she is taking steps to increase engagement in the performing arts in (i) schools and (ii) other educational establishments.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All state funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development. The performing arts are a core part of the school curriculum and also supported through extracurricular activities to children and young people.
The Department regularly asks about pupil participation in extracurricular performing arts activities in ‘parent, pupil and learner panel’ surveys. In the most recent published wave in which the questions were asked (the November wave from the 2022/23 academic year), 19% of pupils reported that they had participated in extracurricular performing arts activities in that term. The Department will continue to monitor the uptake of performing arts and other extracurricular activities, and investigate reasons for any significant changes or trends.
An additional £1.6 billion in funding has been made available for 16-19 education between the 2021/22 and 2024/25 academic years. This includes an up-front cash boost which will see the rate of funding per student increase by over 8% in 2022/23.
The Department recognises the additional cost of living pressures that have arisen this year which have affected university students. In addition to the cost of living measures already announced, the Department discusses cost of living pressures that are affecting students in its regular meetings with stakeholders, including the Office for Students (OfS), Universities UK and other HE representative groups. The Department also consulted with the National Association of Student Money Advisers to understand the ongoing situation in relation to increased requests from students for hardship awards from their universities.
The Department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum on cultural education over three years, through its music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver a broad and ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
The Department will be publishing a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Arts Council England. The Chair of the Expert Advisory Panel was announced last year, and other panel members will be announced in due course. The Plan will focus on how the Government can support access and participation in a wide range of arts subjects and activities, particularly for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. It will also further support young people who wish to pursue careers in the creative, cultural, and heritage industries.
In addition, the Department wants to ensure that HE specialist providers, many of which specialise in arts provision, receive additional support, and that grant funding is used to effectively support students.
On 8 December 2022, the OfS published the list of successful HE providers who have been identified as world-leading specialists by the Specialist Provider Panel. The current list of world-leading specialist providers includes 13 providers specialising in the arts. This funding will help improve the diversity and quality of creative education provision available to students.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to take steps to help increase participation in the performing arts among (a) children and (b) young people, particularly those from (i) disadvantaged backgrounds and (ii) groups underrepresented in the sector.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
My Department is committed to broadening access to arts and culture for children and young people across the country, regardless of their background.
Arts Council England’s recent announcement of the 2023-26 Investment Programme will see a record number of organisations receiving funding, in more parts of the country than ever before. It also includes a 20% increase in the number of organisations which are funded to deliver work for children and young people; 79% of the organisations in this portfolio will be delivering activity specifically for children and young people. Programmes supported through the new portfolio will support children and young people to take part in creative and cultural activities at all ages - from early years to young adulthood.
Separately, the Government funds a diverse portfolio of music and arts education programmes that are designed to improve participation in the arts for all children, including the National Saturday Club, which gives 13 to 16-year-olds across the country the opportunity to participate in creative learning programmes, studying the subjects they love for free, on a Saturday at their local university, college or cultural institution.
In addition, the Schools White Paper (2022) sets out that the Department for Education and Department for Culture, Media and Sport will publish a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with Arts Council England, Historic England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and the British Film Institute. A key aim of this Plan is to tackle the barriers to accessing cultural education.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for changes in the level of entries for GCSE and A Level qualifications in performing arts subjects in the last two years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All state funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development. A cultural education, including the wider performing arts, is central to providing a high quality education for all pupils.
The Department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years through its music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver an ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
There are no plans to assess the reasons for changes in GCSE and A level entries. The Department does regularly publish entry statistics for GCSEs, A levels and technical awards. Over the past four years, the proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils in state funded schools taking at least one arts GCSE between 2018/19 and 2021/22 has gone from 44.5% to 42%. Over the same period the percentage taking at least one arts qualification (GCSE or technical award) has gone from 52.3% to 52.4%.
The Department will be publishing a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with DCMS and Arts Council England. The Chair of the expert advisory panel was announced last year, and other panel members will be announced in due course. The plan will focus on how the Government can support access and participation in a wide range of arts subjects and activities, particularly for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. It will also further support young people who wish to pursue careers in creative, cultural, and heritage industries.
The Cultural Education Plan will cover a range of arts subjects where appropriate, such as drama and dance. The Government does not intend to produce detailed plans in specific arts subjects, or to establish a Hub programme for arts subjects other than music. It is widely recognised that that there is a need for Music Hubs in addressing the unique challenges in supporting young people’s access to and progression in music.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will consider the potential merits of extending the music education hub model to (a) dance, (b) drama and (c) other performing arts.
Answered by Nick Gibb
All state funded schools are required to teach a broad and balanced curriculum, and this includes promoting pupils' cultural development. A cultural education, including the wider performing arts, is central to providing a high quality education for all pupils.
The Department will continue to spend around £115 million per annum in cultural education over the next three years through its music, arts and heritage programmes. With the real terms per pupil increases to core school funding and the nearly £5 billion that has been announced for education recovery, schools will continue to have the flexibility to deliver an ambitious curriculum and enrichment activities, including in arts and creative subjects.
There are no plans to assess the reasons for changes in GCSE and A level entries. The Department does regularly publish entry statistics for GCSEs, A levels and technical awards. Over the past four years, the proportion of Key Stage 4 pupils in state funded schools taking at least one arts GCSE between 2018/19 and 2021/22 has gone from 44.5% to 42%. Over the same period the percentage taking at least one arts qualification (GCSE or technical award) has gone from 52.3% to 52.4%.
The Department will be publishing a Cultural Education Plan in 2023, working with DCMS and Arts Council England. The Chair of the expert advisory panel was announced last year, and other panel members will be announced in due course. The plan will focus on how the Government can support access and participation in a wide range of arts subjects and activities, particularly for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. It will also further support young people who wish to pursue careers in creative, cultural, and heritage industries.
The Cultural Education Plan will cover a range of arts subjects where appropriate, such as drama and dance. The Government does not intend to produce detailed plans in specific arts subjects, or to establish a Hub programme for arts subjects other than music. It is widely recognised that that there is a need for Music Hubs in addressing the unique challenges in supporting young people’s access to and progression in music.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to abide by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The package agreed at COP15, including the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, represents a historic step forward towards addressing the biodiversity crisis. Setting a clear mission to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, the commitments expected under its 23 targets, notably to protect 30% of global land and 30% of global ocean by 2030, to end human induced-species extinctions of known threatened species by 2030, alongside the package of international nature finance agreed to support its implementation – put us on the path to nature recovery. The key is now to fully implement this ambitious framework across all Parties.
In England, we have set four legally binding targets for biodiversity: to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030; then to reverse declines by 2042; to reduce the risk of species extinction by 2042; and restore or create more than 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat, also by 2042. We have set out our plan to deliver on these ambitious targets, along with our other environmental targets, in the revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP23) published 31 January 2023. Here we link the different objectives, plans and mechanisms for recovering nature.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on how many times an individual child was removed from association for periods (a) up to three days, (b) up to 14 days, (c) up to 21 days, (d) up to 42 days and (e) more than 42 days for each juvenile young offender institution in the 12 months to31 March 2022; and if he will break down those removals by the (i) age, (ii) sex, (iii) ethnicity of the children removed from association, (iv) number of children who were classed as disabled and (v) recorded reasons for those removals.
Answered by Damian Hinds
Young people are only temporarily separated from their peers as a very last resort to protect others. When this happens, they receive extra support from specially trained staff. We are bolstering training for every frontline officer, backed by £5m of funding, to improve care and support for all those in custody. Children are never separated as a punishment. The information relating to the number of separations is provided below:
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the current backlog of applications is at the Maintenance Enforcement Business Centre in Bury St Edmunds; and what the wait time is for each application to be processed.
Answered by Mike Freer
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Anna McMorrin (Labour - Cardiff North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate he has made of when the secure school will open.
Answered by Damian Hinds
The secure school is on track to open by Spring 2024. Our provider, Oasis Restore Charitable Trust, is continuing to develop the integrated education, health, and operating model for the secure school, including its safeguarding practices. They will also continue to engage with Ofsted and other key stakeholders throughout this process.