Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which funding source is being used to provide the (a) daily stipend and (b) other expenses for regional improvement for standards and excellence advisors.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards. The RISE Adviser budget forms part of Regions Group's resource departmental expenditure limit programme budget.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to announce the (a) membership of and (b) terms of reference for the regional improvement for standards and excellence stakeholder group.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Regional improvement for standards excellence (RISE) teams have already paired over 350 schools with RISE advisers and supporting organisations, including some of our strongest trusts with a record of turning around struggling schools, to share expertise and boost standards. The department intends to publish the terms of reference, which include membership of the regional improvement for standards and excellence Operations Working Group on GOV.UK following its first meeting in December 2025.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many overseas investors have been involved in the additional needs sector in each year since 2020.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Based on publicly available information, we understand that, of the fifteen private equity funds who own independent special schools (ISS), five are based outside the UK (Jersey, Guernsey, USA, Qatar and Abu Dhabi), together owning 170 units (19%) with nine thousand pupils (27%). We cannot say how many individual investors these five funds represent, nor can we say how many overseas investors have invested in the remaining ten UK-based private equity funds who own ISS units.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 December 2025 to Question 93135, to provide a list of meetings between Departmental officials and each (a) trust chief (b) stakeholder group, (c) representative body, and (d) union regarding RISE advisors.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, which metrics were used to decide which of the previously-approved free schools went ahead.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Mainstream projects were evaluated against consistent criteria on the need for places, value for money, and whether they would provide a distinctive or innovative education offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish her internal Departmental assessments of the potential impact of screentime on children in schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Mobile phones have no place in school. Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools. The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.
There are no current assessments the department intends to publish.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish her internal Departmental assessments of the potential impact of smartphones on children in schools.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Mobile phones have no place in school. Schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones and other smart technology with similar functionality to mobile phones throughout the school day, including during lessons, the time between lessons, breaktimes and lunchtime, as set out in the ‘Mobile phones in schools’ guidance, published in 2024 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mobile-phones-in-schools. The department expects all schools to take steps in line with this guidance to ensure mobile phones do not disrupt pupils’ learning.
There are no current assessments the department intends to publish.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2025 to question 93149, whether RISE advisors will be dismissed if they do not meet the Programme-level Key Performance Indicators.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
RISE advisers are managed in line with the Civil Service performance management framework. Any issues or concerns, including whether performance objectives are being met, will be addressed through the established Civil Service performance management process.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the relationship between UK universities and Chinese (a) military institutions, and (b) companies connected to the military.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has not received any representations from UK universities on funding partnerships with Chinese military institutions or companies connected to the military.
Universities are independent from government, and it is their responsibility to assess their arrangements. We encourage universities to pursue partnerships and engage internationally, provided they comply with UK security policies and regulations.
The government supports the sector in managing risks through the Research Collaboration Advice Team, and a comprehensive package of legislative and regulatory measures including the Academic Technology Approvals Scheme, export controls and the National Security and Investment Act.
The department provides grant funding through the strategic priorities grant to the Office for Students for distribution to providers in line with terms and conditions set by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. None of these terms and conditions relate to programmes involving Chinese military institutions or companies connected to them.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has provided for higher education programmes involving Chinese (a) military institutions, and (b) companies connected to the military.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department has not received any representations from UK universities on funding partnerships with Chinese military institutions or companies connected to the military.
Universities are independent from government, and it is their responsibility to assess their arrangements. We encourage universities to pursue partnerships and engage internationally, provided they comply with UK security policies and regulations.
The government supports the sector in managing risks through the Research Collaboration Advice Team, and a comprehensive package of legislative and regulatory measures including the Academic Technology Approvals Scheme, export controls and the National Security and Investment Act.
The department provides grant funding through the strategic priorities grant to the Office for Students for distribution to providers in line with terms and conditions set by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. None of these terms and conditions relate to programmes involving Chinese military institutions or companies connected to them.