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Written Question
Schools: Asbestos
Monday 24th October 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools applied to the Education Funding Agency for funding for asbestos removal between 2010 and 2016; and what the (a) name, (b) type and (c) local authority is of each such school.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) does not hold a breakdown of funding information, in the format requested, in relation to the removal of asbestos or renovation of school buildings.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the primary responsibility for managing asbestos lies with the person or persons responsible for the maintenance or repair of a building. For schools, this will be the local authority, school governors or academy trust.

The table below summarises the capital budgets from 2011-12 to 2016-17 that were provided for school maintenance, refurbishment and rebuilding, including where appropriate the removal and/or safe containment of asbestos-containing materials. As these works are covered by the capital funding programmes listed below, the Department does not allocate a separate budget for this purpose; and there are no plans to do so in future years.

The Department does not hold directly comparable allocation or expenditure data on prior years.

(All values £m)

2011-12 Budget

2012-13 Budget

2013-14 Budget

2014-15 Budget

2015-16 Budget

2016-17 Budget

School Condition Allocations (funding provided to local authorities and voluntary-aided schools)

1,054

861

749

699

690

661

Devolved Formula Capital (funding provided direct to schools)

185

162

149

138

134

130

Funding for academies, multi-academy trusts, state-funded special schools and other specialist providers for state-funded pupils (including DFC).

161

376

504

562

576

617

Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) (delivered by central government)

0

0

90

603

999

1,050

Total

1,400

1,399

1,492

2,002

2,399

2,458


Written Question
Schools: Asbestos
Monday 24th October 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department allocated for asbestos removal for schools in each year from 2010 to 2016.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) does not hold a breakdown of funding information, in the format requested, in relation to the removal of asbestos or renovation of school buildings.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the primary responsibility for managing asbestos lies with the person or persons responsible for the maintenance or repair of a building. For schools, this will be the local authority, school governors or academy trust.

The table below summarises the capital budgets from 2011-12 to 2016-17 that were provided for school maintenance, refurbishment and rebuilding, including where appropriate the removal and/or safe containment of asbestos-containing materials. As these works are covered by the capital funding programmes listed below, the Department does not allocate a separate budget for this purpose; and there are no plans to do so in future years.

The Department does not hold directly comparable allocation or expenditure data on prior years.

(All values £m)

2011-12 Budget

2012-13 Budget

2013-14 Budget

2014-15 Budget

2015-16 Budget

2016-17 Budget

School Condition Allocations (funding provided to local authorities and voluntary-aided schools)

1,054

861

749

699

690

661

Devolved Formula Capital (funding provided direct to schools)

185

162

149

138

134

130

Funding for academies, multi-academy trusts, state-funded special schools and other specialist providers for state-funded pupils (including DFC).

161

376

504

562

576

617

Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) (delivered by central government)

0

0

90

603

999

1,050

Total

1,400

1,399

1,492

2,002

2,399

2,458


Written Question
Schools: Repairs and Maintenance
Monday 24th October 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the budget for schools renovation was in each year from 2010 to 2016.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) does not hold a breakdown of funding information, in the format requested, in relation to the removal of asbestos or renovation of school buildings.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the primary responsibility for managing asbestos lies with the person or persons responsible for the maintenance or repair of a building. For schools, this will be the local authority, school governors or academy trust.

The table below summarises the capital budgets from 2011-12 to 2016-17 that were provided for school maintenance, refurbishment and rebuilding, including where appropriate the removal and/or safe containment of asbestos-containing materials. As these works are covered by the capital funding programmes listed below, the Department does not allocate a separate budget for this purpose; and there are no plans to do so in future years.

The Department does not hold directly comparable allocation or expenditure data on prior years.

(All values £m)

2011-12 Budget

2012-13 Budget

2013-14 Budget

2014-15 Budget

2015-16 Budget

2016-17 Budget

School Condition Allocations (funding provided to local authorities and voluntary-aided schools)

1,054

861

749

699

690

661

Devolved Formula Capital (funding provided direct to schools)

185

162

149

138

134

130

Funding for academies, multi-academy trusts, state-funded special schools and other specialist providers for state-funded pupils (including DFC).

161

376

504

562

576

617

Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) (delivered by central government)

0

0

90

603

999

1,050

Total

1,400

1,399

1,492

2,002

2,399

2,458


Written Question
Schools: Asbestos
Monday 24th October 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools applied successfully to the Education Funding Agency for funding for asbestos removal between 2010 and 2016; and what the (a) name, (b) type and (c) local authority is of each such school.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) does not hold a breakdown of funding information, in the format requested, in relation to the removal of asbestos or renovation of school buildings.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the primary responsibility for managing asbestos lies with the person or persons responsible for the maintenance or repair of a building. For schools, this will be the local authority, school governors or academy trust.

The table below summarises the capital budgets from 2011-12 to 2016-17 that were provided for school maintenance, refurbishment and rebuilding, including where appropriate the removal and/or safe containment of asbestos-containing materials. As these works are covered by the capital funding programmes listed below, the Department does not allocate a separate budget for this purpose; and there are no plans to do so in future years.

The Department does not hold directly comparable allocation or expenditure data on prior years.

(All values £m)

2011-12 Budget

2012-13 Budget

2013-14 Budget

2014-15 Budget

2015-16 Budget

2016-17 Budget

School Condition Allocations (funding provided to local authorities and voluntary-aided schools)

1,054

861

749

699

690

661

Devolved Formula Capital (funding provided direct to schools)

185

162

149

138

134

130

Funding for academies, multi-academy trusts, state-funded special schools and other specialist providers for state-funded pupils (including DFC).

161

376

504

562

576

617

Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) (delivered by central government)

0

0

90

603

999

1,050

Total

1,400

1,399

1,492

2,002

2,399

2,458


Written Question
Schools: Asbestos
Monday 24th October 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the Education Funding Agency budget has been allocated to fund the removal of asbestos from schools in (a) 2016, (b) 2017, (b) 2018, (d) 2019 and (e) 2020.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) does not hold a breakdown of funding information, in the format requested, in relation to the removal of asbestos or renovation of school buildings.

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, the primary responsibility for managing asbestos lies with the person or persons responsible for the maintenance or repair of a building. For schools, this will be the local authority, school governors or academy trust.

The table below summarises the capital budgets from 2011-12 to 2016-17 that were provided for school maintenance, refurbishment and rebuilding, including where appropriate the removal and/or safe containment of asbestos-containing materials. As these works are covered by the capital funding programmes listed below, the Department does not allocate a separate budget for this purpose; and there are no plans to do so in future years.

The Department does not hold directly comparable allocation or expenditure data on prior years.

(All values £m)

2011-12 Budget

2012-13 Budget

2013-14 Budget

2014-15 Budget

2015-16 Budget

2016-17 Budget

School Condition Allocations (funding provided to local authorities and voluntary-aided schools)

1,054

861

749

699

690

661

Devolved Formula Capital (funding provided direct to schools)

185

162

149

138

134

130

Funding for academies, multi-academy trusts, state-funded special schools and other specialist providers for state-funded pupils (including DFC).

161

376

504

562

576

617

Priority Schools Building Programme (PSBP) (delivered by central government)

0

0

90

603

999

1,050

Total

1,400

1,399

1,492

2,002

2,399

2,458


Written Question
Schools: Festivals and Special Occasions
Monday 18th July 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what provision schools make for Muslim children who want to take time off school for Eid.

Answered by Nick Gibb

A school should treat a pupil’s absence as authorised if a pupil is unable to attend on a day exclusively set apart for religious observance by the religious body to which their parent belongs.

This is set out in Regulation 6(2)(b)(ii) of the Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006, available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/1751/regulation/6/made


Written Question
Free Schools: Asbestos
Wednesday 13th July 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the financial costs relating to asbestos surveying and removal in buildings being converted to free schools have been since the free school programme began.

Answered by Edward Timpson

The Education Funding Agency does not have access to the‎ breakdown of cost information in relation to asbestos surveys and asbestos removal works.


Written Question
Free Schools: Asbestos
Wednesday 13th July 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment for the presence of asbestos is made prior to the purchasing and occupation of a previous industrial building for conversion into a free school.

Answered by Edward Timpson

We instruct building surveys prior to the acquisition of all buildings that we are intending to convert into free schools. Where necessary, we commission further surveys, including asbestos surveys, where risks highlighted in the building survey warrant further investigation.

Ahead of any acquisition we‎ also ask sellers for their Building and Health and Safety files to determine the level of statutory compliance, which includes meeting the control of asbestos regulations.

If we wish to proceed with the transaction and our initial assessment highlights any quality issues or gaps in compliance, our due diligence arrangements and budgets are tailored accordingly, in advance of completing the transaction.

When construction works are planned in an industrial building with known asbestos, an asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey is undertaken to assess if the asbestos should be removed, encapsulated or left in-situ. This is according to material type, location, condition and the extent of works to be undertaken to the existing building.

For any sites with known asbestos, a management strategy identifying the asbestos location is handed over to the occupier. They are then responsible for complying with statutory regulations for the management of asbestos.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Monday 20th June 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy that any children who would have been entitled to free school meals under the previous system retain that entitlement under the new eligibility criteria under universal credit.

Answered by Sam Gyimah

We will continue to ensure that children from the poorest families benefit from a free school meal. My Department is continuing to work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to consider eligibility criteria for free school meals following the introduction of Universal Credit. In the meantime, any child in a family in receipt of Universal Credit will continue to be entitled to free school meals.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Monday 20th June 2016

Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West and Pudsey)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate her Department has made of the additional cost relative to the previous system of additional entitlements to free school meals created by new eligibility criteria under universal credit.

Answered by Sam Gyimah

We will continue to ensure that children from the poorest families benefit from a free school meal. My Department is continuing to work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions to consider eligibility criteria for free school meals following the introduction of Universal Credit. In the meantime, any child in a family in receipt of Universal Credit will continue to be entitled to free school meals.