Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of underwriting school deposits for residential trips to provide that sector with a cashflow and help ensure it is ready to reopen as soon as conditions allow.
Schools are advised against all educational visits at this time. This advice will be reviewed in February 2021. Due to the uncertainty of when and how COVID-19 national restrictions will be lifted, at this time providing a specific date for the resumption of educational visits would be inappropriate. Further guidance for schools can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.
Officials will continue to work across Government, with industry bodies and sector representatives to address the issues arising from the COVID-19 outbreak and will help them plan for the safe reintroduction of educational visits, including residential educational visits, when it is safe to do so.
There are no plans for underwriting of school deposits for residential trips.