Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to support kinship carers.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The government recognises the important role that family and friends play in caring for children who are unable to live with their parents. Most children benefit from living with someone they already know and trust rather than a stranger.
The government issued statutory guidance in 2011 for local authorities (LAs) about supporting family and friends providing care for children who cannot live with their parents. The guidance makes it clear that children and young people should receive the support that they and their carers need to safeguard and promote their welfare. It explains that support, including financial support, can be provided under section 17 of the Children Act 1989. There is no limit on the level of financial support that local authorities can provide.
LAs are required to publish a policy setting out their approach to promoting and supporting the needs of all children living with family and friends carers, regardless of their legal status. The department has recently written to local authorities to remind them of this requirement and that the policy should be clear, regularly updated, and made freely and widely available.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how he fulfils his duty under section 1(1) of the Childcare Act 2016 alongside or in conjunction with the duty of local authorities as set out in regulation 33 of the Childcare (Early Years Provision Free of Charge) (Extended Entitlement) Regulations 2016.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Childcare Act 2016 places a duty on the Secretary of State to secure 30 hours free childcare for three and four year olds of working parents who meet the eligibility criteria. Regulations made under the Childcare Care Act 2016 allow the Secretary of State to discharge his duty to secure this free childcare through English local authorities. All local authorities have the support of our delivery contractor, Childcare Works, to help ensure that all eligible children can take up a place.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking in schools better to educate young people in the dangers of knife crime.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department knows how important it is that young people understand the dangers of knife crime. Schools can choose to include lessons on weapons awareness and gangs as part of their Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) or Citizenship curriculum, with high quality materials available to schools to support teaching in these areas.
Through the Children and Social Work Act 2017, the government is also making the subjects of Relationships Education compulsory in primary schools, and Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) compulsory in secondary schools. These subjects will help young people understand safe, respectful and positive relationships and appropriate ways of resolving conflict, including conflicts that are voiced and fuelled through the negative use of social media platforms.
The Government is currently running a Call for Evidence on what pupils should be taught in Relationships Education, RSE and PSHE, and will be engaging with the Police and Home Office through that process.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children aged three and four who are entitled to free childcare for 30 hours a week are disabled.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
We do not hold data relating to the number of children eligible for 30 hours who are disabled.
We will collect data about the number of children taking up 30 hours free childcare in the January 2018 Early Years and Schools Census. This will be published in the ‘Education provision: children under 5 years of age’ statistical first release in summer 2018. This will include data about the number of children with special educational needs or a disability taking up government-funded hours.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to section 1(1) of the Childcare Act 2016, what steps he is taking to ensure that childcare is available free of charge for disabled three and four-year-old children for a period equivalent to 30 hours in each of 38 weeks in any year.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
I refer the hon. Member for St Helens and Whiston, to the answer I gave on 19 January 2018 to Question 122942: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2018-01-16/122942/.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an estimate of how many children are not currently accessing their full 30 hours of free childcare because their specialist needs are not being accommodated.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
We do not currently hold data about the number of free hours that are being used by children that are eligible for 30 hours or the reasons why a child may not be accessing their full entitlement.
We will collect data about the number of children taking up 30 hours free childcare in January 2018 Early Years and Schools Census. This will be published in the ‘Education provision: children under 5 years of age’ statistical first release in summer 2018. This will include data about the number of children with special educational needs or a disability taking up government-funded hours.
Asked by: Marie Rimmer (Labour - St Helens South and Whiston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to ensure that disabled three and four year olds who require one-to-one care can still access the thirty hours of free childcare to which they are entitled.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The Childcare Act 2006 and Childcare Act 2016 make clear that if children meet the eligibility requirements for the free entitlements, the local authority must secure a place for them. The Equality Act 2010 requires that local authorities and all early years’ providers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled children.
Local authorities can use the high needs element of their Dedicated Schools Grant to support settings to provide childcare to disabled children. In addition, we introduced, in April 2017, a national Disability Access Fund, worth to £615 per child per year, to support disabled children to access the free entitlements.