Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will provide financial support to universities to establish hardship funds for students residing in (a) private rented and (b) university accommodation.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
Many higher education providers will have hardship funds to support students in times of need, including emergencies. The expectation is that where any student requires additional support, providers will support them through their own hardship funds. In addition, students will continue to receive payments of maintenance loans for the remainder of the current academic year.
Students with a part time employment contract should speak to their employer about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which has been set up to help pay staff wages and keep people in employment. HMRC are working urgently to get the scheme up and running and we expect the first grants to be paid within weeks.
Universities are being asked to provide accommodation for those who cannot travel home or have no alternative residence, and to offer a range of other support services to students, including catering, cleaning, student mental health and welfare. Students should stay put where possible, though we appreciate that many will have already returned to be with their families at this difficult time.
While it is for universities and private halls providers to make their own decisions about charging rents to absent students, we would encourage them to consider the fairness of doing so. A number of universities and private providers have already waived rents for the summer term and it is encouraging to see students’ interests being considered in this way.
It is also important to stress that accommodation providers should not have instructed any student to leave. If any accommodation provider did formally instruct a student to leave the property then it would be unacceptable to continue to charge student rents.
We asked providers to prioritise mental health services, and adapt delivery to means other than face-to-face, and these services are likely to be an important source of support for students during this period of isolation.
We will continue working together with providers to understand any further financial impacts on the sector, and consider how we can best support it.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will take steps to ensure that universities allow students to terminate their accommodation contracts early without incurring financial penalties during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
We expect universities to communicate clearly with residential students on rents for this period and administer accommodation provision in a fair manner. I have written to all vice-chancellors informing them of this expectation. This letter is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/1eb027c9-9e36-4841-849b-57b5ed334cbb/minister-donelan-letter_260320.pdf.
Accommodation providers should not instruct students to return home. If any accommodation provider did formally instruct a student to leave the property then it would be unacceptable to continue to charge student rents.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department will underwrite losses incurred by private nurseries that have been mandated to stay open by Government during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The government has set out specific measures to support childcare providers during the COVID-19 outbreak:
Childcare providers will also benefit from the wider measures the Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced to support the people and businesses of the UK:
The government is also providing the following additional support:
The latest guidance from the department for early years and childcare providers can be found here:
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on flexibility for private nurseries that have been mandated to stay open during the covid-19 outbreak to allow their staff to go on furlough and then to bring them back into work should demand require it.
Answered by Vicky Ford
As both my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19.
Our latest guidance on financial support for education, early years and children’s social care is set out below:
These are rapidly developing circumstances; we continue to keep the situation under review and will keep Parliament updated accordingly.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of delaying the date of the 2020 Kent Test as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Arrangements for the Kent 11 plus test, including the timing of the test, are a matter for Kent County Council to decide.
The Department recognises admission authorities may have concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on arrangements for selection tests for selective schools. We are keeping the situation under review and will provide advice to the sector in due course.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of creating an independent regulator of further education providers.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The quality of further education (FE) providers is independently regulated by Ofsted. Financial health is regulated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, which ensures direct accountability to ministers.
In addition, the FE Commissioner provides practitioner experience to help improve leadership and governance. This includes supporting colleges at risk (through diagnostic assessments) and highlighting best practice, supported by the National Leaders of Further Education.
We are currently considering the recommendations of the Independent Review of College Financial Oversight, carried out by Dame Mary Ney, and will publish the report and the government response in due course.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to monitor the number of children becoming eligible for free school meal vouchers due to decreased household income as a result of covid-19.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Schools and local authorities will continue to accept free school meal applications from parents and pupils. The department will continue to provide access to the Eligibility Checking System to support schools and local authorities in verifying and awarding free school meals.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of children in care placed in unregulated homes.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
This is a priority area for this government. Where local authorities place children in independent and semi-independent settings, they must ensure that they are suitable and meet the needs of young people.
Ministers have reminded local authorities of their duty to keep children safe, particularly if they are placed away from their area. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, made this expectation clear in his letter to local authorities last year, and we will progress action.
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on food standards in schools.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
The department expects that all schools will meet the School Food Standards in a no-deal scenario. Our standards ensure that schools meals are healthy and nutritious, and restrict the amount of fat, sugar and salt that can be served during the school day.
The UK has a high level of food security built upon a diverse range of sources, including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. This will continue to be the case whether we leave the EU with or without a deal. The government is working in partnership with food suppliers to ensure this continues.
Our guidance for schools in relation to this matter is published on GOV.UK at:
Asked by: Rosie Duffield (Labour - Canterbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 279134, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of setting up an independent body to run a student complaints scheme for (a) Level three and (b) Level two qualifications.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
Students with concerns about their education already have several options available to them.
If a student studying at an Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) funded further education college, or other provider, has any general concerns they should first issue a formal written complaint to their college or provider. If the student remains dissatisfied after exhausting this process, they may contact the ESFA.
The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is the independent regulator of qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Where the complaint relates to the awarding organisation, Ofqual recommends that students speak to their college or provider in the first instance, who will be able to advise on whether a complaint should be made to the relevant awarding organisation. Ofqual has its own complaints procedure for regulated awarding organisations and qualifications. It expects complainants to have pursued the relevant awarding organisation’s complaints procedure before going to Ofqual.