Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to help ensure the safety of (a) the Jewish chaplain and (b) Jewish staff and students at the University of Leeds.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Antisemitism, intimidation and threats of violence must never be tolerated on university campuses. University Jewish Chaplains play a vital role in supporting Jewish students and staff across the country. The disgraceful abuse targeted at the Chaplain in Leeds is appalling and extremely disturbing. The government has worked closely with West Yorkshire Police to ensure robust action is taken in relation to these matters. As the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, I have visited Leeds University, spoken to the Vice Chancellor to seek reassurances that the University is taking appropriate action in the wake of these appalling incidents and have met with the Chaplain and his wife. The department remains in regular contact with the University Jewish Chaplaincy, the Community Security Trust and West Yorkshire Police and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Last week’s report by the Community Security Trust highlights the devastating increase in antisemitic incidents in higher education. This government takes antisemitism extremely seriously and is deeply concerned about the growth in antisemitic incidents on campus since 7 October 2023. That is why, on 22 November 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced in his Autumn Statement an additional £7 million over three years to tackle antisemitism in education. The department has issued an invitation for interested organisations to tender for contracts to deliver a comprehensive package of measures across schools, colleges and universities and aim to have suppliers in place for the start of the new financial year. A link to the report by the Community Security Trust can be found here: https://cst.org.uk/data/file/9/f/Antisemitic_Incidents_Report_2023.1707834969.pdf.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, wrote to all schools, colleges, and universities on 11 October 2023, urging them to respond swiftly to hate-related incidents and actively reassure Jewish students that they can study without fear of harassment or intimidation. The department wrote again to Vice Chancellors on 16 November 2023, further emphasising the use of disciplinary measures and the importance of police engagement, as well as the suspension of student visas where the student is a foreign national. This was one of the key actions set out in the five point plan for tackling antisemitism in higher education, which was published on 5 November 2023. The plan involves:
The department will not hesitate to take further action across the education estate to stamp out antisemitism and harassment of Jewish pupils, students and staff.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to help ensure the safety of Jewish chaplains at universities in England.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Antisemitism, intimidation and threats of violence must never be tolerated on university campuses. University Jewish Chaplains play a vital role in supporting Jewish students and staff across the country. The disgraceful abuse targeted at the Chaplain in Leeds is appalling and extremely disturbing. The government has worked closely with West Yorkshire Police to ensure robust action is taken in relation to these matters. As the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, I have visited Leeds University, spoken to the Vice Chancellor to seek reassurances that the University is taking appropriate action in the wake of these appalling incidents and have met with the Chaplain and his wife. The department remains in regular contact with the University Jewish Chaplaincy, the Community Security Trust and West Yorkshire Police and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Last week’s report by the Community Security Trust highlights the devastating increase in antisemitic incidents in higher education. This government takes antisemitism extremely seriously and is deeply concerned about the growth in antisemitic incidents on campus since 7 October 2023. That is why, on 22 November 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced in his Autumn Statement an additional £7 million over three years to tackle antisemitism in education. The department has issued an invitation for interested organisations to tender for contracts to deliver a comprehensive package of measures across schools, colleges and universities and aim to have suppliers in place for the start of the new financial year. A link to the report by the Community Security Trust can be found here: https://cst.org.uk/data/file/9/f/Antisemitic_Incidents_Report_2023.1707834969.pdf.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, wrote to all schools, colleges, and universities on 11 October 2023, urging them to respond swiftly to hate-related incidents and actively reassure Jewish students that they can study without fear of harassment or intimidation. The department wrote again to Vice Chancellors on 16 November 2023, further emphasising the use of disciplinary measures and the importance of police engagement, as well as the suspension of student visas where the student is a foreign national. This was one of the key actions set out in the five point plan for tackling antisemitism in higher education, which was published on 5 November 2023. The plan involves:
The department will not hesitate to take further action across the education estate to stamp out antisemitism and harassment of Jewish pupils, students and staff.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent (a) assessment she has made of and (b) steps she has taken to help ensure the safety of school buildings in North Tyneside.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Academy trusts, local authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies are responsibile for ensuring their schools are safe, well-maintained and compliant with relevant regulations.
The department is working closely with North Tyneside Council and their structural engineers who are investigating the cause of isolated issues at a small number of schools in the area. Once investigations have been completed, the relevant bodies will be informed of any findings.
Where construction issues in schools arise, the department works closely with responsible bodies to ensure that the issue is thoroughly investigated and mitigated, and that all steps are taken to minimise disruption to pupil learning.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the expansion in government funded childcare on the cost of paid for hours.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is providing over £4.1 billion by 2027/28 to fund 30 hours of free childcare per week (38 weeks per year) for eligible working parents with children aged 9 months to 3 years in England. This will remove one of the biggest barriers to working parents by vastly increasing the amount of free childcare that working families can access. Hundreds of thousands of children aged 3 and 4 are already registered for a 30-hour place, saving parents up to £6,000 a year. The department is expanding this entitlement across the country, which will save parents up to £6,500 per year per child. This will help even more working parents with the cost of childcare and make a real difference to the lives of those families. By 2027/28, the Office for Budget Responsibility expects around 60,000 parents to enter employment, in addition to 1.5 million mothers of young children already in work who will increase their working hours.
In addition to the expanded entitlements, the government has also taken action to support parents on Universal Credit with childcare costs upfront when they need it, rather than in arrears. The department has increased support for these parents by increasing the childcare cost maximum amounts to £950 for one child and £1629 for two children.
Tax-Free Childcare remains available for working parents of children aged 0-11, or up to 17 for eligible disabled children. This can save parents up to £2,000 per year, or up to £4,000 for eligible children with disabilities, and has the same income criteria as 30 hours free childcare.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a list of local authorities with sufficient childcare places to deliver (a) 15 hours of funded childcare for two-year-olds from April 2024 and (b) 30 hours of funded childcare for two-year-olds from September 2024.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare meets the requirements of parents in their area. Part B of the 'Early education and childcare' statutory guidance for local authorities highlights that local authorities are required to report annually to elected council members on how they are meeting their duty to secure sufficient childcare, and to make this report available and accessible to parents. This guidance is accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-education-and-childcare--2.
The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare and any issues they are facing.
Where local authorities report sufficiency challenges, the department will discuss what action the local authority is taking to address those issues and, where needed, support the local authority with any specific requirements through our childcare sufficiency support contract.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of the (a) construction, (b) demolition and (c) reconstruction of buildings constructed by Caledonian Modular at (i) Haygrove School, (ii) Sir Frederick Gibberd College and (iii) Buckton Fields Primary School.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes contract values when available on Contracts Finder, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder. In addition, the department publishes capital costs for all free schools on GOV.UK once all works are completed and costs are finalised. Once at that point, the department will action this for these three schools and anticipates that may be some time in the future.
The department is currently progressing a range of legal and contractual mechanisms for recovering costs.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has taken steps to recover costs incurred to the public purse as a result of poor workmanship in cases of school buildings constructed by Caledonian Modular that were found to be structurally unsound.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes contract values when available on Contracts Finder, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder. In addition, the department publishes capital costs for all free schools on GOV.UK once all works are completed and costs are finalised. Once at that point, the department will action this for these three schools and anticipates that may be some time in the future.
The department is currently progressing a range of legal and contractual mechanisms for recovering costs.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the total cost to the public purse of construction, demolition and reconstruction of school buildings constructed by Caledonian Modular and subsequently found to be structurally unsound.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes contract values when available on Contracts Finder, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder. In addition, the department publishes capital costs for all free schools on GOV.UK once all works are completed and costs are finalised. Once at that point, the department will action this for these three schools and anticipates that may be some time in the future.
The department is currently progressing a range of legal and contractual mechanisms for recovering costs.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that children with emerging special educational needs and disabilities aged between nine months and two years who will be eligible for 15 hours funded childcare from September 2024 receive support for their additional needs in early years settings.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In the Spring Budget on 15 March 2023, the government announced the expansion of the free childcare entitlements offer so that eligible working parents in England will be able to access 30 free hours of childcare per week, over 38 weeks of the year, from the term after their child turns 9 months old to when they start school. The expanded working parent entitlement (which will be rolled out in phases from April 2024) will be available to working parents who meet the eligibility criteria. A link to the eligibility criteria is available here: https://www.gov.uk/check-eligible-free-childcare-if-youre-working?step-by-step-nav=f517cd57-3c18-4bb9-aa8b-1b907e279bf9. These are the same as the current 30 hours offer for 3 and 4-year-olds.
As with the current 30 hours offer for 3- and 4-year-olds, children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) will be eligible for the expanded offer as long as their parent(s) meet the eligibility criteria. Further information can be found at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/. The department is ensuring a phased implementation of the expansion to the 30 hours offer to allow the market to develop the necessary capacity for all children. The sufficiency of childcare places will also be continuously monitored.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Statutory Framework states that all early years providers, including those registered with an early years childminder agency, must have arrangements in place to support children with SEND. Early intervention can allow children to thrive, and the department is committed to ensuring the right support can be put in place as soon as it is needed. The department understands the importance of having qualified, trained and experienced people working with children in early years with SEND and emerging Special Educational Needs (SEN). Level 2 and early years educator level 3 qualifications include SEND content, and the department’s is funding training for up to 7,000 early years SEN Coordinators.
The SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, published on 2 March 2023 in response to the SEND and AP green paper of March 2022, sets out how an effective single national SEND and AP system will be delivered. Many of the proposals in the improvement plan will have an impact on early years education, including new national standards for identifying and meeting SEND. These new standards aim to make consistent the provision that should be made available across the country for every child and young person with SEND. There will also be new local SEND and AP partnerships, strengthened accountability and dashboards, and funding reforms. The department has already committed to work with local authorities, early years providers and stakeholders to consider whether changes to the SEN Improvement Funds and other associated elements of the wider current early years funding system are needed, to ensure early years SEND funding arrangements are appropriate and well-targeted to both improve outcomes for all pre-school children with SEND, and to support the introduction of a national framework for bands and tariffs. These vital changes are aimed at enabling early years settings to accept children with SEND into their settings, and provide them with the support they need to learn and grow.
Asked by: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish the (a) postcode of and (b) number of places provided by each Ofsted registered childcare provider.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.