Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the findings of the National Education Union and Child Poverty Action Group, Child poverty and education: A survey of the experiences of NEU members, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of school staff who are personally purchasing equipment for students.

School staff should not have to purchase equipment for their students. Core funding for schools and high needs is at its highest ever level, having risen from almost £41 billion in the period 2017 to 2018 to £42.4 billion this year. It will rise further to £43.5 billion in the period 2019 to 2020.

Since 2010, there are 637,000 fewer children living in workless households. 75% of children from workless families moved out of poverty when their parents entered into full-time work.

Supported by the National Living Wage, the lowest paid have seen their wages grow by almost 7% above inflation between April 2015 and April 2017. This year, the government raised the Income Tax personal allowance to £11,850.

Under the Labour government, in the period 2009 to 2010, someone working full-time on the minimum wage earned over £10,500 and had to pay £820 to the government in income tax. Under the Conservative government, in the period 2018 to 2019, they earn over £14,200 and would only pay £490.