Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
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 use of smart phones in schools on levels of disruption in classrooms.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Mobile phones have no place in our schools.
Calm, consistent, distraction-free classroom environments benefit all children.
This government is closely monitoring the problem of phones in schools, working closely with the sector.
We will always take the right action to make sure all schools are mobile phone-free environments.
The department’s guidance on mobile phones in schools, published in February 2024, is clear that schools should prohibit the use of devices with smart technology throughout the school day, including during lessons, transitions and breaks.
The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that children from non-privileged backgrounds have access to music and dance schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Funding of approximately £36.5 million is committed for the 2025/26 academic year for the Music and Dance Scheme, which provides income assessed bursaries to enable exceptionally talented children, regardless of their personal and financial circumstances, to attend specialist music and dance institutions.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the average reduction in Adoption and Special Guardianship Support funding for kinship carers who can no longer access match-funding in exceptional cases in Gosport constituency.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children across the country. This includes reviewing the Equalities Impact Assessment, which will be deposited in the House Libraries in due course.
The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will still enable children in Gosport, as throughout our country, to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. In 2024/25, there was only one match-funding application to the ASGSF from Hampshire local authority. Where needed, local authorities can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adopted and kinship children. This year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention. We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and opening new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the reduction in Adoption and Special Guardianship Support funding on (a) the policy mission entitled Break Down Barriers to Opportunity and (b) children's start in life.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children across the country. This includes reviewing the Equalities Impact Assessment, which will be deposited in the House Libraries in due course.
The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will still enable children in Gosport, as throughout our country, to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. In 2024/25, there was only one match-funding application to the ASGSF from Hampshire local authority. Where needed, local authorities can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adopted and kinship children. This year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention. We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and opening new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of a reduction in Adoption and Special Guardianship Support funding on the mental health outcomes of children in adoptive and kinship placements in Gosport.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children across the country. This includes reviewing the Equalities Impact Assessment, which will be deposited in the House Libraries in due course.
The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will still enable children in Gosport, as throughout our country, to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. In 2024/25, there was only one match-funding application to the ASGSF from Hampshire local authority. Where needed, local authorities can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adopted and kinship children. This year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention. We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and opening new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the potential impact of a reduction in Adoption and Special Guardianship Support funding on the number of kinship children able to access therapeutic support services in Gosport.
Answered by Janet Daby
The department always assesses the impact of changes on vulnerable children across the country. This includes reviewing the Equalities Impact Assessment, which will be deposited in the House Libraries in due course.
The funding available through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) will still enable children in Gosport, as throughout our country, to access a significant package of support, tailored to meet their individual needs. In 2024/25, there was only one match-funding application to the ASGSF from Hampshire local authority. Where needed, local authorities can use their own funding to increase the amount of therapy.
This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity. The ASGSF is an important part of this, but other sources of support are available to adopted and kinship children. This year, we are making £500 million available to local authorities to roll out Family Help and Child Protection nationally to transform services and transition towards earlier intervention. We are also recruiting an additional 8,500 new mental health staff to treat children and adults, and opening new Young Futures Hubs with access to mental health support workers.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) duties and (b) responsibilities of the delivery lead for the National Centre for Arts and Music Education will be; and what assets they will (i) manage and (ii) own.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
The National Centre will support the delivery of high-quality arts education in schools, including through online training, local partnership and better information for teachers, parents and young people.
By widening access to a high-quality arts education, the National Centre will aid schools and others in teaching a rich and broad arts education to all children. It will also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.
Our plan is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details, including funding, will be released in due course.
The new National Centre will also take over the management of the existing Music Hubs programme.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how young people will be able to use the National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
The National Centre will support the delivery of high-quality arts education in schools, including through online training, local partnership and better information for teachers, parents and young people.
By widening access to a high-quality arts education, the National Centre will aid schools and others in teaching a rich and broad arts education to all children. It will also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.
Our plan is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details, including funding, will be released in due course.
The new National Centre will also take over the management of the existing Music Hubs programme.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding she has allocated to the National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
On 18 March, the department announced our intention to launch a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education.
The National Centre will support the delivery of high-quality arts education in schools, including through online training, local partnership and better information for teachers, parents and young people.
By widening access to a high-quality arts education, the National Centre will aid schools and others in teaching a rich and broad arts education to all children. It will also support a globally respected creative economy by opening up career paths to a new generation of musicians, artists, film-makers and creatives.
Our plan is to launch the National Centre in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. Further details, including funding, will be released in due course.
The new National Centre will also take over the management of the existing Music Hubs programme.
Asked by: Caroline Dinenage (Conservative - Gosport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of the number of apprenticeships delivered by the hair and beauty sector.
Answered by Janet Daby
The number of ‘hair and beauty’ related apprenticeship starts in England is published in the Apprenticeship accredited official statistics publication, which can be accessed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/66bd1260-5cd4-4769-1f8e-08dd8e2f6934. These were last published in March 2025. They include full year figures from 2019/20 to 2023/24, and year to date figures for 2024/25 (August 2024 to January 2025).