Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on the study of philately in schools.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department holds no policy for the study of philately. The National Curriculum focuses on the key knowledge that should be taught. Within a broad statutory framework, set out in subject specific programmes of study, schools have considerable flexibility to organise the content and delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of the majority of their pupils and to take account of new developments, societal changes, or topical issues.
Maintained schools in England are legally required to follow the National Curriculum as a piece of statutory guidance.
The National Curriculum is just one element in the education of every pupil. There is time and space to go beyond the National Curriculum specifications. In addition to meeting their statutory duties, schools are also free to include other subjects or topics they deem relevant for their pupils, as part of the school’s wider curriculum. Therefore, there is room for schools to incorporate the study of philately into their curriculum, should they wish.
Academies and free schools have greater freedom and autonomy in how they operate for areas such as the curriculum, but they are expected to teach a curriculum that is comparable in breadth and ambition to the National Curriculum.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, What discussions he has had with Royal Mail on the effect on philately of the introduction of barcoded stamps.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Ministers and officials meet with Royal Mail regularly to discuss a range of issues in relation to its role as the universal postal service provider. The development of barcoded stamp products as well as the invalidation of non-barcoded stamps is not covered by requirements in postal legislation and so is an operational matter for Royal Mail, which is a private company. The Government is not involved in Royal Mail’s operational or commercial decisions.
Royal Mail launched a ‘Swap Out’ scheme for regular non-barcoded stamps on 31 March 2022 and has clarified that special issue and Christmas stamps will continue to be valid and will not need to be swapped out.
Royal Mail has also set out that there is currently no end date for when customers can swap their stamps meaning that this option can be accessed after 31 January 2023.
It is Royal Mail’s responsibility to ensure its customers are aware of the introduction of barcoded stamps and the arrangements for exchanging old stamps. Further information about its plans for barcoded stamps is available on Royal Mail’s website: www.royalmail.com/sending/barcoded-stamps.