Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she has made an assessment of the suitability of the GCSE Chinese, Cantonese stream, syllabus on students from Hong Kong.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s published GCSE subject content for modern foreign languages (MFL) sets out the knowledge, understanding and skills required for these GCSEs.
The MFL subject content does not set out the specific languages that exam boards can offer. Instead, exam boards decide which languages they wish to offer and develop detailed specifications in these languages that meet both the Department’s subject content requirements and Ofqual’s separate requirements for MFL qualifications. AQA offers a GCSE in Chinese (spoken Mandarin) and Pearson offers a GCSE in Chinese (spoken Mandarin/spoken Cantonese).
Exam boards are responsible for setting out the specific grammar requirements in the specifications for each of the languages they offer. These grammar requirements should represent a level of challenge and breadth that is comparable to the grammar requirements for French, German, and Spanish. These requirements are set out in the Department’s subject content. The specification must be accredited by Ofqual before it can be taught in schools. Exam boards are also responsible for recruiting examiners.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of recruiting Chinese language teachers from Hong Kong to be GCSE examiners.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s published GCSE subject content for modern foreign languages (MFL) sets out the knowledge, understanding and skills required for these GCSEs.
The MFL subject content does not set out the specific languages that exam boards can offer. Instead, exam boards decide which languages they wish to offer and develop detailed specifications in these languages that meet both the Department’s subject content requirements and Ofqual’s separate requirements for MFL qualifications. AQA offers a GCSE in Chinese (spoken Mandarin) and Pearson offers a GCSE in Chinese (spoken Mandarin/spoken Cantonese).
Exam boards are responsible for setting out the specific grammar requirements in the specifications for each of the languages they offer. These grammar requirements should represent a level of challenge and breadth that is comparable to the grammar requirements for French, German, and Spanish. These requirements are set out in the Department’s subject content. The specification must be accredited by Ofqual before it can be taught in schools. Exam boards are also responsible for recruiting examiners.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the relevance of Putonghua's grammar in GCSE Cantonese oral assessment on its marking scheme.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department’s published GCSE subject content for modern foreign languages (MFL) sets out the knowledge, understanding and skills required for these GCSEs.
The MFL subject content does not set out the specific languages that exam boards can offer. Instead, exam boards decide which languages they wish to offer and develop detailed specifications in these languages that meet both the Department’s subject content requirements and Ofqual’s separate requirements for MFL qualifications. AQA offers a GCSE in Chinese (spoken Mandarin) and Pearson offers a GCSE in Chinese (spoken Mandarin/spoken Cantonese).
Exam boards are responsible for setting out the specific grammar requirements in the specifications for each of the languages they offer. These grammar requirements should represent a level of challenge and breadth that is comparable to the grammar requirements for French, German, and Spanish. These requirements are set out in the Department’s subject content. The specification must be accredited by Ofqual before it can be taught in schools. Exam boards are also responsible for recruiting examiners.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of childcare providers in each region of England in each of the last five years.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of her Department's (a) laptops, (b) mobile phones, (c) memory sticks and (d) external hard drives have been lost or stolen in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The following table includes the number of lost and/or stolen devices in the Department in the last five years.
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
Laptops | 66 | 42 | 25 | 16 | 24 |
Mobile phones | 105 | 83 | 51 | 38 | 39 |
Memory sticks | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
External hard drives | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
All Department corporate IT is security encrypted.
Any mobile device reported as lost is immediately and remotely deactivated and the contents deleted. The user account on any laptop reported as lost is immediately and remotely disabled.
There has been no known data loss or compromise as a result of these losses.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools had a school nurse in each region in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information on the state funded school workforce in England, including the number of support staff employed by schools each November, is published in the annual ‘School Workforce in England’ national statistics release at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what were the total funds raised through the Apprenticeship Levy that was reinvested in apprentice training in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The apprenticeship levy is an important part of the government’s reforms to create a high-quality, employer-led apprenticeships system, and it supports employers of all sizes to invest in high-quality apprenticeship training
The apprenticeships budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers and providers. The annual apprenticeship budget is set by HM Treasury (HMT) and although closely linked, it is distinct from the total levy income collected. The table below shows the Department for Education’s ring-fence apprenticeships budget against the ring-fenced apprenticeships spend (set by HMT) for the last five years.
| FY 17/18 | FY 18/19 | FY 19/20 | FY 20/21 | FY 21/22 |
| £m | £m | £m | £m | £m |
DfE Ring-fence Apprenticeships Budget | 2,010 | 2,231 | 2,469 | 2,467 | 2,466 |
Total Ring-fence Apprenticeships Spend | 1,586 | 1,738 | 1,919 | 1,863 | 2,455 |
The department does not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them, but they are able to if they wish. As is usual practice, any underspends in overall departmental budgets by the end of the financial year are first returned to HMT as per the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the Apprenticeship Levy has been spent in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The apprenticeship levy is an important part of the government’s reforms to create a high-quality, employer-led apprenticeships system, and it supports employers of all sizes to invest in high-quality apprenticeship training
The apprenticeships budget is used to fund training and assessment for new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers, and to cover the ongoing costs of apprentices already in training and any additional payments made to employers and providers. The annual apprenticeship budget is set by HM Treasury (HMT) and although closely linked, it is distinct from the total levy income collected. The table below shows the Department for Education’s ring-fence apprenticeships budget against the ring-fenced apprenticeships spend (set by HMT) for the last five years.
| FY 17/18 | FY 18/19 | FY 19/20 | FY 20/21 | FY 21/22 |
| £m | £m | £m | £m | £m |
DfE Ring-fence Apprenticeships Budget | 2,010 | 2,231 | 2,469 | 2,467 | 2,466 |
Total Ring-fence Apprenticeships Spend | 1,586 | 1,738 | 1,919 | 1,863 | 2,455 |
The department does not anticipate that all employers who pay the levy will need or want to use all the funds available to them, but they are able to if they wish. As is usual practice, any underspends in overall departmental budgets by the end of the financial year are first returned to HMT as per the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has she made of the current School Food Standards mandatory servings of meat and dairy and its impact on the (a) UK’s health goals, (b) climate science, and (c) modern dietary choices.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants pupils to be healthy and well nourished. The Department encourages a healthy balanced diet and healthy life choices. The standards for school food are set out in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 and are to ensure that schools provide children with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that children get the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day.
The requirement in the school food standards to serve meat and dairy products applies to all schools. The Department is aware that for some faith schools, vegetarianism is an important part of that faith. There may therefore be cases where there is no demand for meat and dairy products from any of the school’s parents or pupils, and in this scenario it would not be realistic to expect the school to produce meat or dairy based meals that will not be consumed.
The Department has committed to supporting schools to drive up their sustainable practices on food. Schools can voluntarily follow the Government buying standards if they so wish, which include advice around sustainable sourcing. The Department also recognises the importance of plant-based foods from a cultural and environmental point of view. The school food regulations already allow schools the freedom to provide plant-based meals as needed. Meat must be served on three or more days each week and beyond this, schools may provide a meal with any other type of protein every day if they choose to.
The Department’s school food standards regulate the food and drink provided at both lunchtime and at other times of the school day. Beyond this, the Department believes that head teachers, school governors and caterers are best placed to make decisions regarding their school food policies, taking into account local circumstances and the needs of their pupils. In doing so, the Department expects schools to make reasonable adjustments for pupils with particular requirements, for example to reflect dietary and cultural needs. School food policies work best when schools discuss them with parents and pupils, so that parents have the opportunity to raise pupils’ particular dietary needs.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish a breakdown by local authority of the number of teachers in the state sector in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Information on the state-funded school workforce in England and each local authority, including the number of teachers in each of the last five years, is published in the annual ‘School Workforce in England’ national statistics at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
Local authority figures and time series can be found at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/30c60a7f-1376-48b7-2d07-08dab0fa305d.