Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the role of updated School Food Standards in supporting children’s health, wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
A good meal or a nutritious breakfast can set a child up for the day. The department is consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school better reflects current nutritional guidance, supports our work to raise the healthiest generation ever, and ensures children are given the very best start in life.
Evidence shows that access to nutritious school meals is associated with higher attainment, improved behaviour, and better health and economic outcomes, factors that contribute to improved life chances for children.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide a breakdown of the amounts paid by different local authorities across the country for the procurement of external bookings systems which allow families to access the holiday activities and food programme.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The eligibility for the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme in 2026 to 2027 continues to be children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals (FSM) up until September 2026
Local authorities will continue to have flexibility to use up to 15% of their funding to support other children and young people who may benefit from HAF in line with local need and priorities
Some local authorities procure the use of bespoke booking systems from relevant organisations for parents and families to book places on the HAF programme. The department does not hold data on the amounts that individual local authorities pay for procurement of booking systems.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to remove means-testing for families to access the holiday activities and food programme.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The eligibility for the holiday activities and food (HAF) programme in 2026 to 2027 continues to be children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals (FSM) up until September 2026
Local authorities will continue to have flexibility to use up to 15% of their funding to support other children and young people who may benefit from HAF in line with local need and priorities
Some local authorities procure the use of bespoke booking systems from relevant organisations for parents and families to book places on the HAF programme. The department does not hold data on the amounts that individual local authorities pay for procurement of booking systems.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of local authorities piloting community eligibility, or open access, for the Holiday Activities and Food programme in more deprived areas.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities, and safe environments to children and young people from low-income families during the school holidays, benefiting their health, wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Local authorities and their providers have flexibility in how they deliver provision to best serve the needs of young people in their area. The department’s published HAF guidance encourages all local authorities to have a varied mix of provision that caters for different ages and interests, including through collaboration with relevant local organisations. We are aware that several local authorities are utilising different delivery models for HAF to better suit the needs and interests of teenagers, including the HAF Plus model, which features an App
There have been several successful pilots within the HAF programme in collaboration with participating local authorities to further test what works in practice and develop innovative approaches to supporting children and young people We will continue to consider potential future pilots.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether local authorities in England have received from the Department for Education information on how they can implement the HAF Plus model of the Holiday Activities and Food programme.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme provides free nutritious meals, enriching activities, and safe environments to children and young people from low-income families during the school holidays, benefiting their health, wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Local authorities and their providers have flexibility in how they deliver provision to best serve the needs of young people in their area. The department’s published HAF guidance encourages all local authorities to have a varied mix of provision that caters for different ages and interests, including through collaboration with relevant local organisations. We are aware that several local authorities are utilising different delivery models for HAF to better suit the needs and interests of teenagers, including the HAF Plus model, which features an App
There have been several successful pilots within the HAF programme in collaboration with participating local authorities to further test what works in practice and develop innovative approaches to supporting children and young people We will continue to consider potential future pilots.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when will the Children's Commissioner publish her report on the Army Foundation College in Harrogate.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This is a matter for the Children’s Commissioner. Given her independence, my hon. Friend, the Member for South Shields will need to contact her directly.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what contingency plans the government has to (a) identify and (b) remove asbestos in schools scheduled for reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete remediation.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department takes the safety of children and those who work with them incredibly seriously.
By the end of this parliament, every school and college in England, that is not being fully or substantially rebuilt, will be reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) free.
For those schools needing to be rebuilt, under the School Rebuilding Programme every project will be in delivery by the end of the Parliament, with over half already underway.
When asbestos is encountered in the process of removing RAAC, it will also be removed.
More broadly, responsible bodies are duty-holders for asbestos management within their buildings and must follow requirements and standards set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The department requires responsible bodies to have robust asbestos management plans in place to manage their buildings effectively, in line with their legal duties, drawing on appropriate professional advice. HSE advice remains that it is generally safest to manage asbestos-containing materials in place, providing they are in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on the average time SEND pupils spend in isolation across England.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The department does not collect data on the average time pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) spend in isolation across England.
In July 2022, the department published the updated ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance, which is the primary source of advice for schools on developing and implementing a behaviour policy. This updated guidance provides clarity and support to schools on removing pupils from the classroom, which includes advice that schools should collect, monitor and analyse data about this intervention. This information should help schools to make data-based decisions about any additional support individual pupils may require, and to identify whether the school’s removal policy is having a disproportionate impact on pupils sharing particular characteristics.
Schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to take such steps as is reasonable to avoid any substantial disadvantage to SEND pupils caused by the school’s policies or practices. Within these legal parameters, it is then for individual schools to develop their own policies.
Any school behaviour policy must be lawful, proportionate and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Account must be taken of a pupil’s age, any SEND they may have, and any religious requirements affecting them.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of apprenticeships undertaken in artificial intelligence related positions in the last 12 months.
Answered by Robert Halfon
There were 350 starts on the level 7 Artificial Intelligence Data Specialist standard in the 2022/23 academic year. Data for 2023/24 has not yet been finalised as we are part way through the academic year. Other apprenticeships may also contain elements relating to artificial intelligence.
Asked by: Emma Lewell (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Education during the debate on Children in the Care System: Sibling Contact of 4 March 2020, Official Report, column 957, when her Department plans to update the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 to include explicit reference to contact with siblings who are not looked after.
Answered by David Johnston
Schedule 2 of the Children Act 1989 mandates that local authorities should promote contact between the child and his or her relatives, where this is consistent with the child’s welfare and is reasonably practical. This includes sibling contact.
However, the department agrees that there is an anomaly in the 2010 Care Planning Regulations and recognises that the honourable Member for South Shields has raised this issue in the past.
In ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’, the department committed to a review of all legislation, regulations and standards of care to ensure all children in care receive what they need. Alongside this, the department will review the 2010 care planning regulations.