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Written Question
Schools: Coronavirus
Monday 4th May 2020

Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential for the spread of covid-19 from re-opening schools due to parents and carers congregating at schools.

Answered by Nick Gibb

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has made it clear that schools will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates that it is the right time to do so, based on five key tests. The Department is working closely with the sector on our approach.

The safety of students, parents and staff is our top priority. The Department has published guidance on social distancing in education settings which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings.

Written Question
Schools: Coronavirus
Monday 4th May 2020

Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is planning to take to prevent the spread of covid-19 when schools reopen.

Answered by Nick Gibb

My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, has made it clear that schools will only reopen when the scientific advice indicates that it is the right time to do so, based on five key tests. The Department is working closely with the sector on our approach.

The safety of students, parents and staff is our top priority. The Department has published guidance on social distancing in education settings which is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings/coronavirus-covid-19-implementing-social-distancing-in-education-and-childcare-settings.

Written Question
Childminding: Coronavirus
Tuesday 21st April 2020

Asked by: Judith Cummins (Labour - Bradford South)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to introduce financial support for childminders affected by the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Vicky Ford

The government has set out specific measures to support childcare providers during the COVID-19 outbreak:

  • We will continue to pay funding to local authorities for the early years entitlements for 2, 3 and 4-year-olds
  • To support private nurseries, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has also announced that they will be eligible for a business rates holiday for one year from 1 April

Childcare providers will also benefit from the wider measures the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced to support the people and businesses of the UK:

  • A three-point plan announced in the Budget providing £12 billion of support for public services, individuals and businesses whose finances are affected by the outbreak
  • A package to provide additional support for businesses and individuals totalling £350 billion
  • The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help firms continue to keep people in employment. This means that businesses can put workers on temporary leave and the government will pay them cash grants of 80% of their wages up to a cap of £2,500, providing they keep the worker employed
  • A scheme to help the UK’s self-employed who are affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The new Self-Employed Income Support Scheme will enable those eligible to receive a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profit over the last three years. This covers 95% of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment
  • On 28 March, my right hon.Friend, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, announced that the government will also temporarily suspend the wrongful trading provisions to give company directors greater confidence to use their best endeavours to continue trading during this pandemic emergency, without the threat of personal liability should the company ultimately fall into insolvency

The government is also providing the following additional support:

  • deferral of Self-Assesment income tax payments due in July 2020
  • VAT payments due with VAT returns between now and the end June 2020 will be deferred. UK VAT registered businesses will not need make those payments until March 2021
  • grants for businesses that pay little or no bussiness rates
  • increased amounts of Universal Credit
  • the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

The latest guidance from the department for early years and childcare providers can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures and

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care.

Speech in Ministerial Corrections - Wed 25 Sep 2019
Education

"Pupils in disadvantaged areas are significantly less likely to pass crucial GCSEs such as English and maths. School funding must reflect different needs in different places, but the Government’s recent funding announcement will do exactly the opposite and sees more money going into affluent schools in the south of England …..."
Judith Cummins - View Speech

View all Judith Cummins (Lab - Bradford South) contributions to the debate on: Education
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 Sep 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"15. What assessment he has made of the benefit to disadvantaged schools of increasing the base unit of per pupil funding to (a) £4,000 in primary schools and (b) £5,000 in secondary schools. ..."
Judith Cummins - View Speech

View all Judith Cummins (Lab - Bradford South) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 09 Sep 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"Pupils in disadvantaged areas are significantly less likely to pass crucial GCSEs such as English and maths. School funding must reflect different needs in different places, but the Government’s recent funding announcement will do exactly the opposite and sees more money going into affluent schools in the south of England …..."
Judith Cummins - View Speech

View all Judith Cummins (Lab - Bradford South) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Westminster Hall - Wed 08 May 2019
Children’s Future Food Inquiry

"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Rosindell. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy) on securing this important debate, and all members of the panel and other organisations on producing the report.

Far too many children across the country live in …..."
Judith Cummins - View Speech

View all Judith Cummins (Lab - Bradford South) contributions to the debate on: Children’s Future Food Inquiry
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 29 Apr 2019
Oral Answers to Questions

"Recent figures show that areas with the greatest need have seen the biggest decline in the number of apprenticeship starts in the past year, with new starts in Bradford South falling by around 50%. I thank the Minister for visiting my constituency, but I am extremely concerned that the current …..."
Judith Cummins - View Speech

View all Judith Cummins (Lab - Bradford South) contributions to the debate on: Oral Answers to Questions
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 08 Jan 2019
Apprenticeships and Skills Policy

"I beg to move that,

This House has considered apprenticeships and skills policy.

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship today, Sir David. The title of the debate is as broad as possible so that colleagues may join in and give their own perspective. I will address the …..."
Judith Cummins - View Speech

View all Judith Cummins (Lab - Bradford South) contributions to the debate on: Apprenticeships and Skills Policy
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 08 Jan 2019
Apprenticeships and Skills Policy

"I agree that schools have a lot to offer when it comes to redressing the imbalance. I will address schools a little later in my speech, when I will speak about the specific situation in Bradford and the specific project that we have there.

That situation is something of a …..."
Judith Cummins - View Speech

View all Judith Cummins (Lab - Bradford South) contributions to the debate on: Apprenticeships and Skills Policy