Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for the disposal of school playing fields her Department has (a) approved and (b) rejected by (i) school and (ii) local authority since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The department has interpreted disposal in this context to mean the freehold sale, grant of a long-term lease of 30 years or more or appropriation of playing field land to another local authority use.
A register of decisions to dispose of school playing field land is published on GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-land-decisions-about-disposals.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of independent schools closing in each (a) Council and (b) Mayoral Combined Authority in England.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
His Majesty’s Treasury published a tax information and impact note concerning the introduction of VAT on private school fees and school closures. That assessment can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees/applying-vat-to-private-school-fees.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to funding for level 7 apprenticeships on the number of chartered town planning apprenticeships.
Answered by Janet Daby
I refer the hon. Member for Thirsk and Malton to the answer of 13 June 2025 to Question 57098.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of school transport for SEND children in each of the last five years.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department knows that delivering home-to-school travel can be very challenging for local authorities and that costs have increased steeply over recent years. In particular, challenges within the wider special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system have created significant pressure on home-to-school travel. The SEND system inherited by the government has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long, with a lack of early intervention and support in mainstream schools and unsustainable strain on local government finances. The department is grateful to local authorities for ensuring that transport is available for eligible children in the face of significant challenge.
Section 251 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 requires local authorities to submit information about their education expenditure, including expenditure on home-to-school travel. The information collected from local authorities is published on GOV.UK. Further details are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure/2023-24.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
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 cost to local authorities of providing school transport for SEND children in the last five years.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department knows that the cost of delivering home to school travel has increased steeply over recent years. In particular, challenges within the wider special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system have created significant pressure on home to school travel. The SEND system we inherited has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long, with a lack of early intervention and support in mainstream schools.
The government has committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs. The Spending Review announcement on 11 June confirmed significant new funding to support SEND reform and a White Paper setting out further details on our plans will be published in the autumn.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has been made of trends in the level of cost of providing school transport for SEND children in the last five years.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department knows that the cost of delivering home to school travel has increased steeply over recent years. In particular, challenges within the wider special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system have created significant pressure on home to school travel. The SEND system we inherited has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long, with a lack of early intervention and support in mainstream schools.
The government has committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs. The Spending Review announcement on 11 June confirmed significant new funding to support SEND reform and a White Paper setting out further details on our plans will be published in the autumn.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the trend in the level of council spending on school transport in the last decade.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department knows that the cost of delivering home to school travel has increased steeply over recent years. In particular, challenges within the wider special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system have created significant pressure on home to school travel. The SEND system we inherited has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long, with a lack of early intervention and support in mainstream schools.
The government has committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools so fewer children need to travel long distances to a school that can meet their needs. The Spending Review announcement on 11 June confirmed significant new funding to support SEND reform and a White Paper setting out further details on our plans will be published in the autumn.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, if she will publish the full specification of the research commissioned from Thomas Coram Foundation.
Answered by Janet Daby
The Thomas Coram Foundation research contract was commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) as part of the Supporting Families programme in 2023. When the programme moved to the Department for Education (DfE) as part of a machinery of government change in 2024 the management of, and funding for, the research contract moved to DfE. The contract continues to be held in MHCLG for commercial reasons.
The research contract aims to test whether systemic practice is an effective way to work with families to achieve positive outcomes. It is a randomised control trial working with 12 local authorities. The contract ends in March 2026.
Further information is available in the Supporting Families annual report, which was published on 9 June 2025 and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-families-programme-annual-report-2024-to-2025.
As per research protocol, DfE will publish relevant documents and findings associated with the contract at appropriate points in the research.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many state sixth form places are available within (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 miles of Escrick.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
School level data on state-funded schools with capacity in any of the year groups from reception to year 11 is published in the annual ‘School capacity’ statistical publication. The most recent publication is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2023-24. This publication contains the latest available data as at 1 May 2024.
School level data on secondary school capacity and unfilled places can be found in the ‘capacity_school_200910-202324.csv’ data file. Data on secondary school capacity and unfilled places is inclusive of sixth form places. School level data on sixth form places and sixth form pupils is published in the ‘sixth-form-capacity_school_201718-202324.csv’.
The ‘School capacity’ data can be combined with information from ‘Get Information about Schools’, which has the functionality to download data on the schools and colleges within the stated distances from Escrick.
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many state secondary school places are available within (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 miles of Escrick.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
School level data on state-funded schools with capacity in any of the year groups from reception to year 11 is published in the annual ‘School capacity’ statistical publication. The most recent publication is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2023-24. This publication contains the latest available data as at 1 May 2024.
School level data on secondary school capacity and unfilled places can be found in the ‘capacity_school_200910-202324.csv’ data file. Data on secondary school capacity and unfilled places is inclusive of sixth form places. School level data on sixth form places and sixth form pupils is published in the ‘sixth-form-capacity_school_201718-202324.csv’.
The ‘School capacity’ data can be combined with information from ‘Get Information about Schools’, which has the functionality to download data on the schools and colleges within the stated distances from Escrick.
The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.