Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students from other EU countries are registered to attend UK universities in the academic year 2016-17.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
Interim data on the number of EU domiciled applicants accepted to study full-time undergraduate courses in the 2016/17 academic year will be published by UCAS on 29th September. The UCAS timetable of statistical releases can be found at the following link: https://www.ucas.com/corporate/data-and-analysis/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-timetable-data-and
As at 26th May, 49,600 EU domiciled individuals (excluding UK) had applied to attend UK higher education institutions for the 2016-17 academic year. This does not include those studying at postgraduate level or on a part-time basis.
Information on enrolments in all modes and levels of study will be included in the 2016/17 Higher Education Statistics Agency’s (HESA) Student Record, which will be available from January 2018.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to reassure European students studying abroad in Britain that the outcome of the EU referendum will not lead to changes to the tuition fee arrangements of those students.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The law determining eligibility for student finance is unchanged. EU nationals who have resided in the EEA for at least three years are granted “home” fee status for the duration of their courses. This is the case for all eligible EU nationals currently studying in English universities, and for those beginning courses in the 2016/17 Academic year.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) childcare places are available for three and four year olds and (b) eligible children there are in (i) England and (ii) Copeland constituency.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The latest statistics providing the number of three and four year old children benefitting from some funded early education provision can be found online within Table 2LA at:
Figures are available at national and local authority level. Information at constituency level is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
All three and four year old children are entitled to a funded early education place. The proportion benefitting is calculated using population estimates[1] derived from mid-year estimates and projections provided by the Office for National Statistics. As at December 2015, the estimated number of three and four year old children in England was 1,412,500 and in Cumbria local authority was 10,300. The proportion of three and four year old children in receipt of some funded early education provision can be found online within Table 5LA at the link above.
Figures are available at national and local authority level. Information at constituency level is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
[1] Population estimates at lower geographic levels, such as local authority, are subject to a greater degree of error. In some cases, local authority take-up rates can exceed 100%. Therefore, take-up rates at local authority level should be treated with more caution than national take-up rates.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department expects to confirm to childcare providers the rates to be paid to them when delivering 30 hours free childcare per week for three and four year olds.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
We have already announced increased annual investment of £1 billion for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300 million per year from 2017-18 to uplift the average funding rate paid to providers. The increase to the funding rate is based on robust evidence from the Review of the Cost of Childcare. We have made clear our commitment to maximise the amount of this funding which reaches frontline childcare providers, and will consult on proposals for achieving this as part of our consultation on early years funding reform later this year.
Local authorities, in consultation with their Schools Forum, are responsible for deciding how best to distribute the early years entitlement funding across their locality. They also set their own local rates of funding for their early years providers.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to ring-fence the funding rate paid to providers of free childcare for eligible three and four year olds.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
We have already announced increased annual investment of £1 billion for the early years entitlements within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant by 2019-20, which includes £300 million per year from 2017-18 to uplift the average funding rate paid to providers. The increase to the funding rate is based on robust evidence from the Review of the Cost of Childcare. We have made clear our commitment to maximise the amount of this funding which reaches frontline childcare providers, and will consult on proposals for achieving this as part of our consultation on early years funding reform later this year.
Local authorities, in consultation with their Schools Forum, are responsible for deciding how best to distribute the early years entitlement funding across their locality. They also set their own local rates of funding for their early years providers.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the ability of childcare providers in (a) England and (b) Copeland constituency to provide the additional hours necessary to extend free childcare for three and four year olds.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The Government is committed to delivering on its manifesto commitment to extend the current free childcare entitlement for working parents of three-and four-year-olds from 15 to 30 hours per week. We are working with local authorities and the childcare sector and providing the support that providers will need to offer the extended entitlement from September 2017.
The Department recently completed the most comprehensive analysis of the childcare market to understand the funding that providers will need to deliver the extended entitlement. The review of childcare costs was published in November 2015 and can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/479659/151124_Analytical_review_FINAL_VERSION.pdf. The review informed the increase in the funding rate to providers that was announced in November’s Spending Review.
We will be investing an extra £1 billion per year in the free early years entitlements by 2019/20, including £300 million per year to increase the national average funding rate. This is a generous deal for providers and funds them adequately for delivering the entitlement.
The childcare sector has shown its ability to meet increased demand; Laing and Buisson’s 2014 nursery market report estimated that the UK children’s day care market is now almost one third larger than it was a decade ago. To support continued growth, the Department is investing at least £50 million of capital funding to create additional early years places, and we are removing unnecessary red tape to enable providers to seek investment to expand their businesses.
The recently launched capital grants fund will support the delivery of the 30 hours extended entitlement coming into effect from September 2017. Funding of around £40 million is being made available to early years settings, including schools, through a local authority bidding process. Cumbria County Council submitted an EOI in relation to the early years capital funding and providers in Copeland are therefore eligible to apply to the current funding process. We will expect local authorities to work in close partnership with providers when submitting their bids to ensure that the projects submitted have a clear need for capital funding and are able to fully evidence how they will address the sufficiency need identified in the local authority area.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the transparency of the procurement processes used by academy chains.
Answered by Edward Timpson
All academy trusts, including chains, must follow the procurement requirements in the Academies Financial Handbook published by the Education Funding Agency. They must apply the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money, and ensure that transactions are even-handed so that conflicts of interest are managed. Within this framework, academy trusts are responsible for their own purchasing decisions including the achievement of appropriate ethical standards.
Within the framework set out in the Academies Financial Handbook, multi-academy trusts are free to establish and structure core teams that best suit their circumstances. We have a range of measures in place to ensure that transparency is strong in the academies sector. Academy trusts must have a competitive tendering policy and comply with requirements for public procurement. Unlike local authority maintained schools, when buying from related parties academy trusts must do so at no more than ‘cost’. They must also publish details of relevant business and pecuniary interests on their website.
Academy trusts must also comply with the Public Contracts Regulations which are based on the principles of transparency, non-discrimination and equal treatment.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on sharing of core teams between multiple academies in multi-academy trusts.
Answered by Edward Timpson
All academy trusts, including chains, must follow the procurement requirements in the Academies Financial Handbook published by the Education Funding Agency. They must apply the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money, and ensure that transactions are even-handed so that conflicts of interest are managed. Within this framework, academy trusts are responsible for their own purchasing decisions including the achievement of appropriate ethical standards.
Within the framework set out in the Academies Financial Handbook, multi-academy trusts are free to establish and structure core teams that best suit their circumstances. We have a range of measures in place to ensure that transparency is strong in the academies sector. Academy trusts must have a competitive tendering policy and comply with requirements for public procurement. Unlike local authority maintained schools, when buying from related parties academy trusts must do so at no more than ‘cost’. They must also publish details of relevant business and pecuniary interests on their website.
Academy trusts must also comply with the Public Contracts Regulations which are based on the principles of transparency, non-discrimination and equal treatment.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has a policy on ethical procurement by academy chains.
Answered by Edward Timpson
All academy trusts, including chains, must follow the procurement requirements in the Academies Financial Handbook published by the Education Funding Agency. They must apply the principles of regularity, propriety and value for money, and ensure that transactions are even-handed so that conflicts of interest are managed. Within this framework, academy trusts are responsible for their own purchasing decisions including the achievement of appropriate ethical standards.
Within the framework set out in the Academies Financial Handbook, multi-academy trusts are free to establish and structure core teams that best suit their circumstances. We have a range of measures in place to ensure that transparency is strong in the academies sector. Academy trusts must have a competitive tendering policy and comply with requirements for public procurement. Unlike local authority maintained schools, when buying from related parties academy trusts must do so at no more than ‘cost’. They must also publish details of relevant business and pecuniary interests on their website.
Academy trusts must also comply with the Public Contracts Regulations which are based on the principles of transparency, non-discrimination and equal treatment.
Asked by: Jamie Reed (Labour - Copeland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the National Audit Office has made of Bright Tribe multi-academy trust; and what response her Department has made to those findings.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The department has assessed the procurement arrangements at Bright Tribe trust as part of a financial management and assurance review by the EFA. The review highlighted that the trust procurement practices had not followed a recognised open market tendering procurement exercise and that the majority of the trusts services had been outsourced to companies connected to its sponsor. The company provided at cost statements for these services and the external auditors did not raise any issues with at cost. The Trust has introduced a new procurement model which is currently under review by the EFA.
The NAO contacted the EFA in February 2016 regarding related party transactions at Bright Tribe. The NAO have been kept updated on the EFA review of the Bright Tribe case.