Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Government has made on providing a sharia-compliant alternative student finance system.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
I refer the hon. member for West Ham, to the letter I sent to Lord Sharkey on 24 July 2018, updating him on the progress we have made and the current position on Alternative Student Finance (ASF), a copy of which in available in the Libraries of both Houses.
As set out in that letter, the government intends to provide further details on the implementation of ASF following the publication of the final report of the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding in early 2019.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many final interviews for the post of Social Mobility Commissioner took place on (a) 17, (b) 18, and (c) 19 September.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The recruitment process for the Social Mobility Commissioners is currently ongoing however, the department can release the information requested once the appointments process has concluded.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of applications that the Centre for Public Appointments has received for the post of Social Mobility Commissioner were (a) solicited and (b) unsolicited by the Government.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The recruitment for the Social Mobility Commissioners is currently ongoing; we are unable to release this information until the appointments process has concluded so as not to prejudice the outcome of the campaign.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether (a) Odgers Berndtson and (b) any other human resources firm has received funding for services for appointments to the Social Mobility Commission in the last 12 months.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
No human resources firm, including Odgers Berndtson, has received funding for services for appointments to the Social Mobility Commission from the department in the last 12 months.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has a dedicated unit for the (a) monitoring and analysis, (b) evaluation and (c) the creation of social mobility policy.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Every stage of the education system plays a role in expanding opportunities for young people and adults. Social mobility therefore runs throughout every aspect of the department’s work. In ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’, published in December 2017, the department set out an ambitious agenda for driving social mobility across a wide range of policy areas, from early years to careers. Given the breadth of this work and the fact that it cuts across so many parts of the department’s activity there are many units working on analysis, evaluation and creation of policies that drive social mobility.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many staff his Department have been assigned to work on workstreams relating to the (a) monitoring and (b) analysis of each of his Department's social mobility policies on (i) 1 October 2016, (ii) 1 April 2017,(iii) 1 October 2017, and (D) 1 April 2018.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Social mobility runs through every aspect of the department’s work. The purpose of the education system is to give everyone, whatever their background, the skills to succeed in life. The department recently published ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’, an action plan for driving social mobility by tackling entrenched barriers to opportunity at every life stage, from early years through to working life. The department has a range of teams undertaking monitoring and evaluation of its policies, however, since social mobility cuts across all of the department’s work, it is not possible to isolate the number of staff assigned to these activities.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the panel sift for the appointment of a new Chair of the Social Mobility Commission took place on 12 April as advertised.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Progress on appointing a new Chair and Commissioners is running to schedule as per the procedures set out in the Governance Code for Public Appointments. My fellow ministers and I look forward to working with the successful candidate to improve social mobility.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether final interviews for the appointment of a new Chair of the Social Mobility Commission are still planned for 3 May.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
Progress on appointing a new Chair and Commissioners is running to schedule as per the procedures set out in the Governance Code for Public Appointments. My fellow ministers and I look forward to working with the successful candidate to improve social mobility.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the long-term (a) education, (b) employment, (c) training, (d) housing and (e) health outcomes of children who are classified as in need at the age of (a) 16 and (b) 17.
Answered by Anne Milton
On 16 March 2018, the government published data and analysis as part of the Department for Education’s Children in Need Review. This included the finding that Children in Need are more likely than other children to become a young adult who is not in education, employment or training three years after completing key stage 4.
The department does not currently hold data on other long-term outcomes of Children in Need. The department’s data publication will access long-term outcomes analysis to better understand child journeys and lifetime outcomes, which includes the feasibility of matching the Department for Education’s Children in Need data with outcomes data from other government policy areas.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the remit of the Social Mobility Commission; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The role and remit of the Social Mobility Commission is set out in legislation. We believe that the Commission under current legislation is able to act as an effective advocate for social mobility, and advise government, educators, employers and others on how best to tackle this important issue. There are no current plans to change the remit of the Commission.