Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to reinstate the Business Engagement Forum to help ensure collaboration between officials in her Department and industry leaders.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
With the creation of Skills England, the department has developed a wider range of employer engagement routes.
In October 2024, following the publication of the first Skills England report, a series of round tables were conducted, engaging over 100 stakeholders. This tested the initial analysis but also drew out what stakeholders felt Skills England should prioritise and where it could have most impact.
In November 2024, the department conducted a comprehensive engagement programme, reaching 743 people across a variety of sectors and activities.
The engagement was designed to support advice on the future of the Growth and Skills Levy offer, and the skills element of Industrial Strategy Sector Plans.
The aim was to collect evidence on skills needs, flexibilities in the levy system and gather sector-specific views to inform the second Skills England report.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help schools deliver (a) physical education and (b) school sports initiatives.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire to the answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 36741.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the infrastructure available to provide (a) physical education and (b) outdoor activities in schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
Physical education (PE) is a foundation subject that is compulsory at all four key stages in the national curriculum. As part of the national curriculum, pupils should be taught in key stages two, three and four to take part in outdoor and adventurous activities. This government is committed to securing the infrastructure needed to protect time for PE in schools and to support the role grassroots clubs play in expanding access to sport.
To support schools to provide opportunities for pupils to access high quality PE and sport, the government has committed £320 million for the primary PE and sport premium this academic year, 2024/25, benefiting over 18,000 schools and around 3.9 million pupils in England. The department also launched an open procurement for a new grant programme from spring 2025, of up to £300,000 a year. This will focus on improving and increasing PE, school sport and physical activity opportunities for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
In July 2024, the government commissioned Professor Becky Francis CBE to convene and chair a panel of experts to conduct the Curriculum and Assessment Review. The interim report has been published and the final report is due in autumn 2025. The interim report can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/curriculum-and-assessment-review-interim-report.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to Skills England’s report entitled Skills England: driving growth and widening opportunities, published on 24 September 2024, what steps she has taken to support cross-departmental working by Skills England (a) in general and (b) to provide training on green skills to employees in sectors that plan to decarbonise.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In September 2024, Skills England published their first report, titled, ‘Skills England: Driving Growth and Widening Opportunities’. This report sets out Skills England’s role, the key skills challenges that limit economic growth and opportunity, and an initial assessment of skills needs in the economy.
Part of Skills England’s role is to ensure that skills sit at the heart of joined-up decision making across government. This includes working closely with:
i) The Industrial Strategy Council, so that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver a clear, long-term plan for the future economy.
ii) The Department for Work on Pensions, on the government’s plan to Get Britain Working.
iii) The Migration Advisory Committee, so that growing the domestic skills pipeline reduces our reliance on overseas workers.
iv) Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to ensure that regional skills needs are met and there is alignment with national priorities.
v) The devolved administrations, to ensure join-up across the UK.
vi) The full range of central government departments including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), which has set up the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to meet our clean energy superpower mission.
Skills England will ensure that skills development aligns with the UK’s carbon emission and environmental targets, working in partnership with businesses, educational institutions, and regional and local organisations. Following the publication of its first report, Skills England consulted over 700 employers and other key stakeholders, including from the green economy, on their skills needs and priorities for training funded through the new growth and skills offer.
To meet carbon emission and environmental targets, skills training programmes must respond to the demands of a low-carbon economy, with qualifications and training pathways designed to directly address the ways in which jobs will change. Skills England will work with businesses and other government departments to help develop understanding of the importance of this shift including for employers and training providers.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times she has met with the Interim Chair of Skills England since their appointment.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Since their appointment in July, the Interim Chair of Skills England, Richard Pennycook, has met my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education six times and my noble Friend, the Minister for Skills five times. In addition, the Interim Chair has had weekly meetings with the Interim Chief Executive.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support intermediate and advanced apprenticeships.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Meeting the skills needs of the next decade is central to delivering all of the government's five missions on economic growth, opportunity for all, a stronger NHS, safer streets, and clean energy. Through delivering the opportunity and growth missions, the department will ensure that we have the skilled workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs.
There are over 360 apprenticeships at intermediate and advanced levels which are supporting people to train in occupations such as adult care worker, bricklayer or cyber security technician. A wide range of apprenticeships are also available at higher levels including data analyst, nuclear technician and registered nurse.
So far this academic year, between August and October 2024, there have been 132,560 apprenticeship starts across all levels; this is 1.3% higher than the same period in the previous year.
To support the development of skills at all levels, the government will reform the apprenticeships levy into a more flexible Growth and Skills levy that is aligned to the Industrial Strategy. This will create routes into good, skilled jobs in growing industries.
As a first step, flexibilities will include shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in targeted sectors, helping more people learn new high quality skills at work, fuelling innovation in businesses across the country and providing high quality entry pathways for young people. The department will set out more detail on these plans in due course.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether parents will be legally obliged to provide all information listed in inserted section 436C in Clause 25 of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill to local authorities.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
New section 436C(1) of the Education Act 1996 lists the information legally required to be provided by parents of children who are eligible for inclusion on a local authority’s ‘Children Not in School’ register. This information is their child’s name, date of birth and address, the name and address of each parent, the amount of time the child spends receiving education from each parent and information on any other person providing education to the child.
The Bill provides, in section 436C(2), a list of information that will be optional for parents to provide to their local authority for inclusion on the register. This includes information relating to their child’s protected characteristics, any special educational needs and details of any child protection issues such as ongoing enquiries and whether the child is looked-after or a child in need. Local authorities may also include the information listed in this section if they already hold it through other means.
The parental duty to provide information will apply when their child first becomes eligible for registration, such as when they first move into home education. The duty will also apply when there is a change to any of the information they are required to provide. This could include a change of address or a change in the providers of the child’s education.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
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 of State for Education during the Eighth sitting of the Public Bill Committee on the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on Thursday 30 January 2025, Official Report PBC (Bill 151) Eighth Sitting column 308, if she will specify the information under Clause 25 to which the Parliamentary Under-Secretary referred when he said that all other information would be optional.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
New section 436C(1) of the Education Act 1996 lists the information legally required to be provided by parents of children who are eligible for inclusion on a local authority’s ‘Children Not in School’ register. This information is their child’s name, date of birth and address, the name and address of each parent, the amount of time the child spends receiving education from each parent and information on any other person providing education to the child.
The Bill provides, in section 436C(2), a list of information that will be optional for parents to provide to their local authority for inclusion on the register. This includes information relating to their child’s protected characteristics, any special educational needs and details of any child protection issues such as ongoing enquiries and whether the child is looked-after or a child in need. Local authorities may also include the information listed in this section if they already hold it through other means.
The parental duty to provide information will apply when their child first becomes eligible for registration, such as when they first move into home education. The duty will also apply when there is a change to any of the information they are required to provide. This could include a change of address or a change in the providers of the child’s education.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
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 of State for Education of 30 January 2025 in the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill Public Bill Committee (Eighth sitting), Official Report PBC (Bill 151) Eighth Sitting, column 308, how she defines a new education provision.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
New section 436C(1) of the Education Act 1996 lists the information legally required to be provided by parents of children who are eligible for inclusion on a local authority’s ‘Children Not in School’ register. This information is their child’s name, date of birth and address, the name and address of each parent, the amount of time the child spends receiving education from each parent and information on any other person providing education to the child.
The Bill provides, in section 436C(2), a list of information that will be optional for parents to provide to their local authority for inclusion on the register. This includes information relating to their child’s protected characteristics, any special educational needs and details of any child protection issues such as ongoing enquiries and whether the child is looked-after or a child in need. Local authorities may also include the information listed in this section if they already hold it through other means.
The parental duty to provide information will apply when their child first becomes eligible for registration, such as when they first move into home education. The duty will also apply when there is a change to any of the information they are required to provide. This could include a change of address or a change in the providers of the child’s education.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department will continue funding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund after March 2025.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department will shortly be finalising business planning decisions on how we will allocate the budget for the next financial year. All decisions regarding the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund are being made as part of these discussions, and an announcement will be made as soon as possible.
All future funding decisions will be considered as part of the next spending review.