Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with headteachers on streamlining the process for accessing funding during the covid-19 outbreak.

The Department engages with school and college leaders at consultative groups on a regular basis. In addition to this, representatives from the Department attend local authority regional finance officers’ groups and schools forums to gather intelligence and feedback to shape policy decisions based on concerns raised. We work with representatives and user groups to ensure guidance is clear, payments are on time, and all digital claim forms are user friendly.