Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

How many (a) phones, (b) laptops and (c) other electronic devices have been lost by their Department since 5 July 2024.

The following table includes the number of lost department-issued devices by the department since 5 July 2024. Breakdown of department-issued equipment typeNumber of lost itemsMobile phones43Laptops16Other electronic devices - please specify (headsets)87

How many and what proportion of recipients will lose entitlement to the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund on 31 March 2025.

On 1 April, it was announced that the adoption and special guardianship support fund would continue into 2025/26, with a budget of £50 million. A further announcement about arrangements for applications will be made as soon as possible. All applications will continue to be assessed on an individual basis in line with published criteria.

Whether she plans to extend the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund beyond the end of the 2024-25 financial year for those recipients not eligible for split funding.

On 1 April, it was announced that the adoption and special guardianship support fund would continue into 2025/26, with a budget of £50 million. A further announcement about arrangements for applications will be made as soon as possible. All applications will continue to be assessed on an individual basis in line with published criteria.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of changes to (a) employer National Insurance contributions and (b) the minimum wage on the number of new apprentices in the hair salon industry.

I refer the hon. Member for Huntington to the answer of 26 March 2025 to Question 39407.

What funding was available to Sure Start (a) in each year and (b) adjusted for inflation.

Annual expenditure figures for the Sure Start programme are published in the following reports:Department for Education and Skills departmental report 2007, found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-and-skills-departmental-report-2007. This report includes an annual breakdown of Sure Start expenditure for the period between 1998/99 and 2005/06.Department for Children, Schools and Families resource accounts 2009 to 2010, found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-children-schools-and-families-resource-accounts-2009-to-2010. This report includes an annual breakdown of Sure Start expenditure for the period between 2004/05 and 2009/10.Department for Education Annual Report and Accounts 2010-11, found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/193544/HC_983.pdf. This report includes an annual breakdown of Sure Start expenditure in 2010/11 and 2009/10.Since April 2010, local authorities have reported expenditure on Sure Start children’s centres through annual section 251 returns. Annual expenditure figures on Sure Start children’s centres for the period between 2010/11 and 2023/24 are published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-local-authority-school-finance-data#local-authority-and-school-finance and https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/la-and-school-expenditure.The department does not maintain records of annual Sure Start expenditure figures adjusted for inflation.

Whether her Department is taking steps to help tackle the skills shortage in the defence workforce.

This government recognises the critical role that a skilled workforce plays in supporting national defence, including meeting the needs of the armed forces and of a vibrant, innovative and competitive defence industry.The department funds a range of high quality qualifications and apprenticeships that support learners wishing to pursue a career in technical occupations in areas such as defence. These include, for example:A number of apprenticeships in the defence sector to support the development of skilled workforces, including level 2 HM forces serviceperson and level 4 intelligence analyst, with the armed forces offering a range of apprenticeships across the frontline commands.20 T Levels, including a range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects such as engineering, science, and digital, which can open up great career opportunities in the defence sector.​Higher technical qualifications (HTQs), which are occupation-focused level 4-5 qualifications, approved and quality marked as providing the skills demanded in the workplace by employers. To date, 263 have been approved across thirteen occupational routes, covering occupations relevant to defence, such as engineering manufacturing technician, space engineering technician and cybersecurity technologist.More generally, higher education contributes to defence through technical fields such as aerospace engineering and cybersecurity, as well as social science fields such as politics, military strategy, and international relations.

What steps her Department is taking to help identify victims of child-trafficking in schools in Cambridgeshire.

Protecting children requires cooperation and coordination across multiple agencies. Local authorities, police, and health services share a joint and equal statutory duty to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The three safeguarding partners (local authorities, police, and health services) collaborate with other relevant agencies, including education settings, to make strategic decisions essential for effective practice and child safety.There is also an established robust framework in place in the form of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), which is the statutory safeguarding framework to which all schools and colleges must have regard when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Part 1 of this guidance, which should be read by all staff who work directly with children, not only sets out the different types of abuse and harm but it also supports all staff to know what signs to look out for, including how to respond to any concerns about a child. In addition, the guidance includes information on modern slavery, the National Referral Mechanism and links to joint guidance from the Department for Education and the Home Office. The full guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-who-may-have-been-trafficked-practice-guidance. This safeguarding framework ensures that all concerns are identified and managed swiftly, effectively and in line with local safeguarding protocols. Schools and colleges must also work with their local safeguarding partners to ensure these processes are implemented consistently.

What is the funding allocation per child for primary school breakfast clubs.

Funding rates vary depending on uptake and pupil characteristics, for example by free school meal eligibility. All early adopter schools will receive £500 to cover initial set-up costs and a lump sum of at least £1,000 a term, to cover fixed costs such as staffing. An average school with 50% take-up of the early adopter scheme would receive around £23,000 for a full year. The purpose of the early adopter scheme is to test and learn, and the department will work closely with schools to gather evidence on funding levels in advance of national rollout.

What is the minimum supervision ratio of adults to children required to run a primary school breakfast club.

Staffing levels and ratios should be determined by individual schools, considering the different levels of need, including special educational needs and disability, of the children attending.Breakfast clubs may include children who attend reception class during the school day. Schools should have regard for the early years foundation stage statutory framework for group and school-based providers.If a breakfast club programme is being delivered by a private, voluntary and independent provider, who only provides care for children aged six and above, the provider should follow the ratio requirements set out in the guidance for daycare providers on the compulsory childcare register.

By how much each secondary school year group is over-subscribed in Huntingdon constituency in the 2025-26 academic year.

The department does not hold data for the 2025/26 academic year. The latest available data on school capacity are for 2022/23. Data for 2023/24 will be available at the end of March 2025. The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.

What discussions she has had with universities on the potential impact of the rise of employer national insurance contributions on projects they fund or sponsor; stratified by individual university since July 2024.

As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out in the Autumn Budget 2024, raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why this government is asking employers to contribute more. We strongly believe that this is the fairest choice to help fund the NHS and wider national priorities.Higher education providers are independent of government and as such are responsible for managing their own budgets and business models. All providers must continue to adapt to uncertainties and financial risks.This government is committed to creating a secure future for our world-leading higher education sector. The Office for Students' (OfS) refocusing on financial sustainability and the difficult decision we made to increase tuition fees demonstrate this ambition. We will set out a long-term plan for sector reform this summer.The department continues to work closely with the OfS in order to understand the ongoing impacts and changing landscape of financial sustainability in the sector.

Pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2025 to Question 22771 on Schools: Admissions, what proportion of the associated revenue costs of pupils entering the state sector from the independent sector relates to Cambridgeshire.

The government does not have plans to produce an estimate of revenue costs of pupils entering the state sector from the private sector by local authority. As set out previously, the department will monitor demand for school places and capacity using our normal processes and continue to work with local authorities to meet any pressures that may arise.School funding levels are set annually using the national funding formula, and schools are funded on the basis of their pupil numbers in the previous October census. The government expects to raise around £1.8 billion per annum from these policies by the 2029/30 financial year. Additionally, for the 2025/26 financial year, the government announced a £2.3 billion increase to the core schools budget at the Autumn Budget 2024, increasing per pupil funding in real terms.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the safety valve on SEND provision in Huntingdon.

Safety Valve agreements were only entered into if the local authority and the department’s expert advisers agreed that the proposals would improve services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), whilst enabling local authorities to meet their statutory obligations. Safety Valve agreements do not in any way release local authorities from their obligation to fulfil their statutory duties to children and young people with SEND. The department regularly reviews the implementation of all Safety Valve agreements through its monitoring process and provides support and intervention if they go off track.The department is also conducting a research project into the impact of Safety Valve agreements in local areas. This will help us further understand the experience of children, parents, carers and schools.The department has confirmed that we will not enter into any more Safety Valve agreements for councils that have financial deficits, pending wider reform of the whole system to prioritise early intervention and outcomes for children, properly supporting councils to bring their finances under control. We will continue to work with local authorities that have Safety Valve agreements with the department to deliver their plans.

What steps her Department is taking to incorporate educational resources from the National Crime Agency into the National Curriculum in order to inform children about the dangers of online child sexual exploitation.

As part of statutory relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. This includes being taught about what positive, healthy and respectful online relationships look like, the effects of their online actions on others, how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online and where to get help and support for issues that occur online. The guidance emphasises that schools should keep aware of issues such as grooming and sexual exploitation, including coercive and controlling behaviour, and that these should be addressed sensitively and clearly. Teaching about online safety also complements the computing curriculum, which covers the principles of online safety at all key stages, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders, before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including on online harms, and how this can complement the government’s wider actions to tackle harmful behaviour, sexual violence and exploitation. As with other curriculum subjects, the department does not advise schools on which resources, external speakers or organisations to use, not least because schools operate in a variety of different contexts and have both the expertise and knowledge that makes them best placed to make these decisions. However, in 2023, the department published guidance on teaching online safety in schools, which sets out how to teach about all aspects of internet safety in a coordinated and coherent way across the curriculum, and also includes links to further sources of information, including the National Crime Agency’s resources. This guidance can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.

What steps her Department is taking to monitor capacity in state schools in the context of potential pupil transfers from the private to state sector following the introduction of VAT on school fees.

The government predicts that 35,000 pupils will move into UK state schools in the long-term steady state following the removal of the VAT exemption to school fees. As such, the impact on the state education system as a whole is expected to be small.This increase in the state sector represents less than 0.5% of total UK state school pupils, of which there are over 9 million. The number expected to move before the end of the 2024/25 academic year is around 3,000. The government expects the associated revenue costs of pupils entering the state sector to steadily increase to a peak of around £0.3 billion after several years.Every year lots of pupils move between schools, including between the private and state-funded sectors. Local authorities routinely support parents that need a state-funded school place, including where private schools have closed. Where local authorities are experiencing difficulties in ensuring there are enough school places for children that need them, the department will offer support and advice.The department collects pupil forecasts and school capacity data from local authorities annually through the School Capacity survey and this data shows that in May 2023, 11.7% of primary capacity and 11.5% of secondary capacity was unfilled nationally, meaning school places are available in many parts of the country. The department will monitor demand and capacity using our normal processes and continue to work with local authorities to meet any pressures.The department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local authorities to provide school places, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. They can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools.

What steps her Department is taking to educate children about (a) online safety and (b) the risk of online sexual predators as part of the National Curriculum.

As part of statutory relationships and health education in primary schools and relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in secondary schools, pupils are taught about online safety and harms. This includes being taught about what positive, healthy and respectful online relationships look like, the effects of their online actions on others, how to recognise and display respectful behaviour online and where to get help and support for issues that occur online. The guidance emphasises that schools should keep aware of issues such as grooming and sexual exploitation, including coercive and controlling behaviour, and that these should be addressed sensitively and clearly. Teaching about online safety also complements the computing curriculum, which covers the principles of online safety at all key stages, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. The RSHE statutory guidance is currently under review. The department is looking carefully at responses to the public consultation conducted last year, considering the relevant evidence and discussing with stakeholders, before setting out next steps to make sure the guidance draws from the best available evidence. As part of this process, the department will explore whether additional content is required, including on online harms, and how this can complement the government’s wider actions to tackle harmful behaviour, sexual violence and exploitation. As with other curriculum subjects, the department does not advise schools on which resources, external speakers or organisations to use, not least because schools operate in a variety of different contexts and have both the expertise and knowledge that makes them best placed to make these decisions. However, in 2023, the department published guidance on teaching online safety in schools, which sets out how to teach about all aspects of internet safety in a coordinated and coherent way across the curriculum, and also includes links to further sources of information, including the National Crime Agency’s resources. This guidance can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.

Whether she plans to take steps to decolonise the national curriculum.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE.The terms of reference, which do not mention decolonisation, can be accessed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66d196b7d107658faec7e3db/Curriculum_and_assessment_review_-_aims_terms_of_reference_and_working_principles.pdf.The review group will publish an interim report in early spring and a final report, including recommendations, will be published this autumn. We will take decisions on what changes to make to the curriculum in light of these recommendations.

How many students will require individual home invigilation to sit their (a) GCSEs, (b) A-Levels and (c) other exams in 2025.

Alternative site arrangements for sitting exams, including home invigilation, can be put in place as an access arrangement if, in exceptional circumstances, it is required to enable a candidate to access exams and assessments.As in any year, there is no way of knowing in advance of the exam season how many candidates will need access arrangements.As the use of alternative site provision is a decision for centres based on the needs of individual candidates and for which centres do not need exam board approval, data on this arrangement is not published in Ofqual’s annual statistics on access arrangements.

Whether the Curriculum and Assessment Review is looking at disadvantages faced by boys at school.

This government has a driving mission to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child and young person, including boys, at every stage. The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review will consider barriers and ceilings to attainment throughout children’s education and make recommendations on how they can be removed.The review will ensure that the curriculum appropriately balances ambition, excellence, relevance, flexibility and inclusivity for all children and young people, to deliver a cutting-edge curriculum which enables every child to achieve and thrive. The review’s terms of reference can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/curriculum-and-assessment-review.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle antisemitism at universities.

This government is clear that every student, regardless of their background or religion, should be able to pursue their studies at university without fear of harassment or discrimination. As autonomous institutions, universities have robust processes in place to prevent and tackle incidents of harassment and abuse on campus. The latest Community Security Trust (CST) report, titled ‘Campus Antisemitism in Britain 2022-2024’, confirms a significant increase in antisemitic incidents on university campuses over the past two academic years. Additionally, recent Home Office hate crime data indicates that Jewish communities are disproportionately targeted by hate crimes. The department considers tackling antisemitism in education a key priority and has already taken important steps to address it. We have confirmed £7 million in funding for the Tackling Antisemitism in Education (TAE) programme and have launched a new procurement (which will close on 16 January 2025) to upskill school and college teachers and key university staff to prevent, recognise and address incidents of antisemitism. Under the TAE programme, we have already awarded £500,000 to the University Jewish Chaplaincy (UJC) to provide welfare-based support for Jewish students who may be worried about their safety. The funds will be used by UJC to enhance their support services, which include offering counselling, organising community events, and providing a safe space for Jewish students to discuss their concerns. We continue to liaise closely with Jewish stakeholder groups including the UJC, the Union of Jewish Students and CST to discuss and address their concerns.