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Written Question
Hadlow College: Expenditure
Wednesday 27th October 2021

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking under the Technical and Further Education Act 2017 and other statutory provisions to help ensure accountability and transparency of public expenditure in relation to Hadlow College.

Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology

All public expenditure in relation to the education administration of Hadlow College (and the related West Kent & Ashford College) have, and continue to be subject to, the highest levels of accountability and transparency.

All expenditure has been approved by the Financial Cases Committee (FCC) in the Education and Skills Funding Agency, which is an independent committee. The FCC includes Her Majesty's Treasury, external independent experts, legal, commercial and the Further Education Commissioner, and subsequently ministers and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, as required by delegations.

The Technical and Further Education Act 2017 provides that the education administrators are officers of the court which approves their fee requests. The education administrators' hourly rates are based on a commercial procurement framework which offers material savings to their rates charged in normal insolvencies. The spending of the education administrators is fully disclosed through their six monthly reports to creditors, which are publicly available at Companies House.


Written Question
Teachers: Coronavirus
Tuesday 23rd March 2021

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support his Department plans to provide to schools for additional costs incurred when teaching staff are absent to receive covid-19 vaccines during school term time.

Answered by Nick Gibb

Matters relating to any absences by school staff, whether related to COVID-19 or not, are a matter for the individual’s employer.

To manage their staffing requirements, schools may need to alter the way in which they deploy their staff and use existing staff more flexibly, as set out in our guidance. These include making best use of teaching assistants, hosting initial teacher training, using volunteers, engaging supply staff using in-year allocated budget, and seeking support from the local authority or trust.

Schools will continue to receive their core funding allocations – as determined by the local authority for maintained schools and through the general annual grant for academies – for the 2021/22 financial year (April 2021 to March 2022 for maintained schools and until August 2022 for academies and non-maintained special schools). This will happen regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure and will ensure schools can continue to pay staff and meet other regular financial commitments.


Written Question
Private Tutors: Coronavirus
Tuesday 1st December 2020

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the evidence basis was for the Government's decision not to enable students to visit tutors for informal tuition during the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown.

Answered by Nick Gibb

On Saturday 31 October 2020, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced New National Restrictions from Thursday 5 November until Wednesday 2 December to control the spread of COVID-19: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november.

On Wednesday 4 November, the Department for Education published guidance for education and childcare settings on the impact of these restrictions. The guidance can be found through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/education-and-childcare-settings-new-national-restrictions-from-5-november-2020.

Schools that provide a full-time education continue to remain open for all children and young people, as they have since the start of the autumn term, for the duration of the New National Restrictions.

Where provision is taking place outside of school, this provision should only operate where the provision is reasonably necessary to enable parents to work, search for work, or attend education or training, or where the provision is used for the purposes of respite care, including for vulnerable children.

Out-of-school activities that are primarily used by home educating parents as part of their arrangements for their child to receive a suitable full-time education (which can include supplementary schools, tuition centres, or private tutors) may also continue to operate.

All other out of school activities, not being primarily used by parents for these purposes, should close for face-to-face provision but can offer remote education for the duration of the New National Restrictions.


Written Question
Outdoor Education: Coronavirus
Monday 23rd November 2020

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support he plans to make available exclusively to outdoor education and residential centres forced to close as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department’s advice on educational visits can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools. The advice is in line with guidance from Public Health England, the Cabinet Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It is currently under review and the findings will be available at the end of November.

The Government has introduced a package of support worth more than £200 billion to help as many individuals and businesses as possible during the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes small business grants, the coronavirus loan guarantee schemes, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the deferral of VAT and income tax payments. The measures introduced have been designed to be accessible to businesses in most sectors across the UK.

Further measures have been announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, that build on the significant support already available, and set out how the current support will evolve and adapt. These include the extension of the CJRS until the end of March 2021, the extension of the deadline for applications for the Bounce Back Loan scheme and other loan schemes until 31 January 2021, and increased support for the self-employed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grants.

Furthermore, businesses in England that are forced to close due to national or local restrictions will receive up to £3,000 per month. Local authorities in England will also receive one-off funding of £1.1 billion to support businesses more broadly over the coming months, as a key part of local economies.

The Government will continue to work closely with local authorities, businesses, business representative organisations and the financial services sector to monitor the implementation of current support and understand whether there is additional need. Businesses can also access tailored advice through our Freephone Business Support Helpline, online via the Business Support website, or through their local Growth Hubs in England.


Written Question
Schools: Construction
Monday 27th July 2020

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether projects financed through the Government’s Priority Schools Building Programme can be constructed with the ability to lease areas of a new building to (a) local nurseries and (b) other local organisations.

Answered by Nick Gibb

The Department is rebuilding or refurbishing school buildings required to deliver the school curriculum through the Priority School Building Programme. It would therefore not be possible for a school to have a building rebuilt or refurbished through this programme with the aim of it being leased to nurseries or other organisations. It is however possible for alternative funding to be provided from third parties so that additional accommodation is included in the scope of works, if this is agreed at the start of a project.

It is possible for all schools to lease areas of their facilities and schools may have informal or lease arrangements with third parties out of hours. Before granting any lease of public school land to a third party, a local authority, governing body, academy trust, or charitable landowning trust must comply with the legislative requirements to involve the Secretary of State. In most cases this requires an application for consent. The grant of a lease by an academy trust would also require the consent of the Secretary of State under the Academies Financial Handbook and the trust’s funding agreement.


Written Question
Apprentices: Qualifications
Tuesday 3rd March 2020

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many colleges in England provide the Level 2 Cities and Guilds Apprenticeship qualification for Trees and Timber; and what guidance his Department has issued to Further Education providers on promoting that qualification in the past two years.

Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education

28 separate apprenticeship providers in England had learners who participated on the City and Guilds Apprenticeship framework for Trees and Timber between the academic years 2014/15 to 2018/19, of which 23 were colleges.[1][2] One of these providers - Guildford College of Further and Higher Education – is located in Kent.

Guidance has not been issued to Further Education providers on promoting this qualification, as the department does not actively promote qualifications from particular awarding organisations, or specific apprenticeship standards and frameworks, but make a range of qualifications available for providers to deliver within policy and funding rules, and in response to student, employer and local and skills needs.

Our apprenticeship reforms are supporting employers in all sectors to make a long-term, sustainable investment in the skills that they need to grow. New apprenticeship standards at all levels are being designed and driven by industry to meet their current and emerging skills needs.

[1] The data source is the Individualised Learner Record (ILR) and is published at the following links:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/848363/Apprenticeship_Participation_1415_1819_final_v0.2.xlsx.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/848508/Underlying_data_Apps_participation.zip.

[2] Data will include all funded learners reported on the ILR.


Written Question
Children: Day Care
Wednesday 4th July 2018

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many households are eligible for 30 hour free childcare for children aged three and four in each English region; how many households have applied to the scheme since that scheme was introduced; how many of those households have been successful; and how many households have received 30 hours free childcare in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

The government set out in the 2015 Spending Review that we expect 390,000 children to be eligible for 30 hours’ free childcare. This figure is derived from national survey data taken in January and is an average across the year. Estimates at a regional and local authority level are not available due to the relatively small population that we are estimating within sub-national geographies.

We publish monthly Management Information releases on the number of 30 hours’ eligibility codes issued and validated. These can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-eligibility-codes-issued-and-validated.

We also publish termly experimental statistics showing the number of children in a place. The most recent publication showed that an estimated 339,974 children were in a 30 hours place in the summer term. The full publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/30-hours-free-childcare-summer-term-2018.


Written Question
Children: Day Care
Wednesday 4th July 2018

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education; how many households are eligible for 15 hours of free childcare for children aged three and four in each English region; how many households have applied to that scheme since that scheme was introduced; how many of those households have been successful; and how many households have received 15 hours free childcare in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

All families who have a child of 3 and 4 years of age are eligible for 15 hours’ funded early education over no fewer than 38 weeks of the year. Since September 2010, all 3 and 4 year olds have been entitled to 570 hours a year of funded early education over no fewer than 38 weeks of the year. This equates to 15 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year.

The number of eligible 3 and 4 year olds and the number of 3 and 4 year olds benefitting from 15 hours’ funded early education are shown in the table. Given universal eligibility, the number of households who applied and the number of households who were successful are not available. Figures dating back to 2011 can be found in the ‘Provision for children under 5 years of age in England, January 2018’ statistics publication. This was published on 28 June 2018 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2018.


Written Question
Children: Day Care
Wednesday 4th July 2018

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education; how many households are eligible for 15 hours of free childcare for two-year-old children in each English region; how many households have applied to that scheme since that scheme was introduced; how many of those households have been accepted; and how many households have received 15 hour free childcare two-year-old in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

15 hours of free early years education for disadvantaged 2 year olds was introduced in September 2013.

The number of 2 year olds eligible was extended in September 2014 to children in low-income families, children with a statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan, children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance and children who are no longer looked after by a local authority as a result of an adoption order, a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order which specifies who the child will live with. In April 2018, the eligibility criteria for which 2 year olds can benefit from a funded early education place were changed to reflect the introduction and roll-out of Universal Credit.

The number of eligible 2 year olds and the number of 2 year olds benefitting from up to 15 hours’ funded early education are shown in the table. The number of households who applied and the number of households who were successful are not available. This is because data is not collected per household, and therefore the number of households who applied and the number of households who were successful cannot be provided. Figures dating back to 2014 can be found in the ‘Provision for children under 5 years of age in England, January 2018’ statistics publication which was published on 28 June 2018. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2018.

Number of 2-year-old children1 eligible
and number benefitting from up to 15 hours
funded early education at January 2018, by region

Number eligible2

Number benefitting

England

215,900

154,960

North East

12,200

10,270

North West

30,700

25,480

Yorkshire and The Humber

25,800

18,870

East Midlands

18,300

12,210

West Midlands

28,100

19,020

East of England

19,900

13,980

London

39,300

24,150

South East

25,800

18,020

South West

15,600

12,960

Source: Early Years Census, School Census and School Level Annual School Census

(1) Count of children aged 2 at 31 December in the previous calendar year.

(2) Universal Credit is being rolled out throughout the country on a staged basis. Eligibility criteria for funded education for 2 year-olds includes those children whose parents are in receipt of Universal Credit in 2018, however the numbers are estimated to be small and these children are not included in the eligibility estimates. Children of Universal Credit claimants will be included in future years.

Numbers of children eligible have been rounded to the nearest 100 and numbers benefitting have been rounded to the nearest 10.


Written Question
Children: Day Care
Wednesday 4th July 2018

Asked by: Tom Tugendhat (Conservative - Tonbridge and Malling)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many households are eligible for free education and childcare for two-year-old children in each English region; how many households have applied to that scheme since that scheme was introduced; how many of those households have been accepted; and how many households have received free education and childcare for two-year-old children in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Answered by Nadhim Zahawi

15 hours of free early years education for disadvantaged 2 year olds was introduced in September 2013.

The number of 2 year olds eligible was extended in September 2014 to children in low-income families, children with a statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan, children in receipt of Disability Living Allowance and children who are no longer looked after by a local authority as a result of an adoption order, a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order which specifies who the child will live with. In April 2018, the eligibility criteria for which 2 year olds can benefit from a funded early education place were changed to reflect the introduction and roll-out of Universal Credit.

The number of eligible 2 year olds and the number of 2 year olds benefitting from up to 15 hours’ funded early education are shown in the table. The number of households who applied and the number of households who were successful are not available. This is because data is not collected per household, and therefore the number of households who applied and the number of households who were successful cannot be provided. Figures dating back to 2014 can be found in the ‘Provision for children under 5 years of age in England, January 2018’ statistics publication which was published on 28 June 2018. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2018.

Number of 2-year-old children1 eligible
and number benefitting from up to 15 hours
funded early education at January 2018, by region

Number eligible2

Number benefitting

England

215,900

154,960

North East

12,200

10,270

North West

30,700

25,480

Yorkshire and The Humber

25,800

18,870

East Midlands

18,300

12,210

West Midlands

28,100

19,020

East of England

19,900

13,980

London

39,300

24,150

South East

25,800

18,020

South West

15,600

12,960

Source: Early Years Census, School Census and School Level Annual School Census

(1) Count of children aged 2 at 31 December in the previous calendar year.

(2) Universal Credit is being rolled out throughout the country on a staged basis. Eligibility criteria for funded education for 2 year-olds includes those children whose parents are in receipt of Universal Credit in 2018, however the numbers are estimated to be small and these children are not included in the eligibility estimates. Children of Universal Credit claimants will be included in future years.

Numbers of children eligible have been rounded to the nearest 100 and numbers benefitting have been rounded to the nearest 10.