Written questions by Hinds.

What information her Department holds on the number of school trips made annually, by (a) region (b) mode of transport.

The department does not collect information from schools about the number of school trips made or the mode of transport used. It does, however, provide guidance on health and safety on school trips. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-on-educational-visits/health-and-safety-on-educational-visits.

What the evidential basis is for the estimate that the new primary school breakfast programme will save parents £450 a year.

The estimate that the government’s breakfast club programme will save parents £450 a year is based on the average fee charged for a breakfast club in England according to the childcare and early years survey of parents. Taking into account the amount parents currently pay for breakfast clubs, the department has calculated how much parents will save per year, on average, from the introduction of free, 30 minute clubs.

With reference to clause 25 of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, what the means is for appealing to the Secretary of State.

The references in the Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to “education otherwise than at school” should be read in the broadest sense of the term and not solely referring to Education Otherwise Than in A School (EOTAS). The wording in the Bill reflects the current duty on parents outlined in Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to secure an efficient, full-time, suitable education for their children either by regular attendance at school “or otherwise”, such as home education. Both home-educated children and EOTAS arrangements would be eligible for inclusion in local authority Children Not in School registers.As part of the implementation of the Bill, the department will provide statutory guidance on what qualifies as an exceptional circumstance in relation to local authorities not notifying the other parent of a consent decision, as well as details of how a parent can appeal to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, if a parent disagrees with a local authority’s decision on permission to home educate.

With reference to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether (a) scarves, (b) hats and (c) other optional items of clothing count towards the limit for branded items of uniform.

School uniform plays a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities. However, too many schools require high numbers of costly branded uniform items and it is right that this legislation limits the number of branded items schools can require, giving parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allowing them to make spending decisions which suit their circumstances. Schools will only be able to require pupils to have up to three compulsory branded uniform items for use during the year. Secondary and middle schools will have the option of requiring an additional branded item if that item is a tie.These limits will apply to all pupils within the school, regardless of year group or when they join. In introducing this measure, the department will give schools time to put sensible transition plans in place. We expect schools to take account of where parents might have already purchased uniform. This might include, for example, allowing pupils to continue to wear previous uniform items for a reasonable period when a new uniform policy is introduced, and optional branded items are still permitted.Where sew on badges are required to be added to generic uniform items, the resulting item will count towards the limit on compulsory branded items. The department encourages schools to use sew on badges, with a school name or logo, as a cost-effective way to brand uniform items. We also want to give parents absolute clarity on what the limit means for them, which is why we have included any compulsory item with a school name or logo on or attached to it within the limit.Branded items which are optional, which are those not listed by the school as a compulsory uniform item, including hats and scarves, would not be included in the limit. Schools should, however, have regard to existing statutory guidance, which is clear that all branded items, compulsory and optional, should be kept to a minimum and that schools should carefully consider whether any branded item is the most cost-effective way of achieving the desired result for their uniform. Existing non-statutory guidance is also clear that uniform should be suitable for pupils walking or cycling to school, that it should be practical and appropriate for the activity involved, and that schools should take a sensible approach to allow for exceptions to be made to uniform requirements during extreme weather.

Whether she plans to maintain current levels of funding in real terms for secondary school breakfast clubs in the national school breakfast club programme.

There are over 2,600 schools currently participating in the national schools breakfast programme (NSBP), which enables schools to purchase breakfast food at 25% of the cost, with 75% of the cost of food and delivery provided by government.We have confirmed funding to support schools, including secondary schools, currently on the NSBP, and schools on the scheme will continue to receive the same level of funding and support already available to them until at least March 2026.Decisions about future funding for breakfast clubs and the NSBP will be taken as part of the next phase of the spending review.

With reference to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether a badge (a) sewn onto or (b) otherwise affixed to a generic blazer will count towards the limits for branded items of school uniforms.

School uniform plays a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities. However, too many schools require high numbers of costly branded uniform items and it is right that this legislation limits the number of branded items schools can require, giving parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allowing them to make spending decisions which suit their circumstances. Schools will only be able to require pupils to have up to three compulsory branded uniform items for use during the year. Secondary and middle schools will have the option of requiring an additional branded item if that item is a tie.These limits will apply to all pupils within the school, regardless of year group or when they join. In introducing this measure, the department will give schools time to put sensible transition plans in place. We expect schools to take account of where parents might have already purchased uniform. This might include, for example, allowing pupils to continue to wear previous uniform items for a reasonable period when a new uniform policy is introduced, and optional branded items are still permitted.Where sew on badges are required to be added to generic uniform items, the resulting item will count towards the limit on compulsory branded items. The department encourages schools to use sew on badges, with a school name or logo, as a cost-effective way to brand uniform items. We also want to give parents absolute clarity on what the limit means for them, which is why we have included any compulsory item with a school name or logo on or attached to it within the limit.Branded items which are optional, which are those not listed by the school as a compulsory uniform item, including hats and scarves, would not be included in the limit. Schools should, however, have regard to existing statutory guidance, which is clear that all branded items, compulsory and optional, should be kept to a minimum and that schools should carefully consider whether any branded item is the most cost-effective way of achieving the desired result for their uniform. Existing non-statutory guidance is also clear that uniform should be suitable for pupils walking or cycling to school, that it should be practical and appropriate for the activity involved, and that schools should take a sensible approach to allow for exceptions to be made to uniform requirements during extreme weather.

With reference to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether the new rules on a maximum number of branded school uniform items are intended only to apply to new entrants to the school in the normal year of entry to the school.

School uniform plays a valuable role in creating a sense of common identity among pupils and reducing visible inequalities. However, too many schools require high numbers of costly branded uniform items and it is right that this legislation limits the number of branded items schools can require, giving parents more choice in where to purchase uniform and allowing them to make spending decisions which suit their circumstances. Schools will only be able to require pupils to have up to three compulsory branded uniform items for use during the year. Secondary and middle schools will have the option of requiring an additional branded item if that item is a tie.These limits will apply to all pupils within the school, regardless of year group or when they join. In introducing this measure, the department will give schools time to put sensible transition plans in place. We expect schools to take account of where parents might have already purchased uniform. This might include, for example, allowing pupils to continue to wear previous uniform items for a reasonable period when a new uniform policy is introduced, and optional branded items are still permitted.Where sew on badges are required to be added to generic uniform items, the resulting item will count towards the limit on compulsory branded items. The department encourages schools to use sew on badges, with a school name or logo, as a cost-effective way to brand uniform items. We also want to give parents absolute clarity on what the limit means for them, which is why we have included any compulsory item with a school name or logo on or attached to it within the limit.Branded items which are optional, which are those not listed by the school as a compulsory uniform item, including hats and scarves, would not be included in the limit. Schools should, however, have regard to existing statutory guidance, which is clear that all branded items, compulsory and optional, should be kept to a minimum and that schools should carefully consider whether any branded item is the most cost-effective way of achieving the desired result for their uniform. Existing non-statutory guidance is also clear that uniform should be suitable for pupils walking or cycling to school, that it should be practical and appropriate for the activity involved, and that schools should take a sensible approach to allow for exceptions to be made to uniform requirements during extreme weather.

What data his Department holds on the incidence of power outages by (a) postcode (b) postcode sector (c) local authority ward and (d) any other geographical segmentation.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has robust and well-tested processes in place to collect information and data during power outage incidents to ensure situational awareness is maintained. The type of data and information we collect is outlined in the National Emergency Plan for Gas and Electricity, which is available on gov.uk. The type of information gathered differs from incident to incident and can include geographical data such as the number of customers impacted in a region.

With reference to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether the references in the Bill to education otherwise than at school refer to the form of schooling commonly known as education otherwise than at school (EOTAS).

The references in the Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to “education otherwise than at school” should be read in the broadest sense of the term and not solely referring to Education Otherwise Than in A School (EOTAS). The wording in the Bill reflects the current duty on parents outlined in Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to secure an efficient, full-time, suitable education for their children either by regular attendance at school “or otherwise”, such as home education. Both home-educated children and EOTAS arrangements would be eligible for inclusion in local authority Children Not in School registers.As part of the implementation of the Bill, the department will provide statutory guidance on what qualifies as an exceptional circumstance in relation to local authorities not notifying the other parent of a consent decision, as well as details of how a parent can appeal to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, if a parent disagrees with a local authority’s decision on permission to home educate.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of consumers being required to move to a VOIP connection for a new contract on market competition.

The government is committed to supporting a pro-competition environment in the broadband sector. The transition to VOIP is being led by industry. The Department is engaging with Ofcom to ensure that the long-term process does not have an adverse impact on wholesale competition.

Innovation and Technology, what data his Department holds on the numbers of (a) residential customers and (b) business customers that have moved from a PSTN telephone connection to a VOIP connection (i) when their contract expired (II) at the scheduled PSTN switch-off for their area (iii) for any reason in the last 12 months.

The Department does not hold this specific information on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).Ofcom’s Connected Nations (2024) report (published 5 December 2024) states: “In the year to July 2024, 1.8 million residential customers who previously had a PSTN line migrated to a VoIP service. 53% (970,000 lines) of these were as a result of a provider-led migration, while the remaining 47% (870,000 lines) were as a result of customer-led migrations.”The Department separately holds some information on the number of remaining PSTN lines and the number of migrations per quarter for the larger communications providers. As of December 2024, there were circa 6.5 million active PSTN lines remaining.

With reference to clause 25 8(b) of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, whether guidance will be issued as to what would count as exceptional circumstances.

The references in the Children Not in School measures of the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to “education otherwise than at school” should be read in the broadest sense of the term and not solely referring to Education Otherwise Than in A School (EOTAS). The wording in the Bill reflects the current duty on parents outlined in Section 7 of the Education Act 1996 to secure an efficient, full-time, suitable education for their children either by regular attendance at school “or otherwise”, such as home education. Both home-educated children and EOTAS arrangements would be eligible for inclusion in local authority Children Not in School registers.As part of the implementation of the Bill, the department will provide statutory guidance on what qualifies as an exceptional circumstance in relation to local authorities not notifying the other parent of a consent decision, as well as details of how a parent can appeal to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, if a parent disagrees with a local authority’s decision on permission to home educate.

Whether her Department's funding to primary schools for free breakfast clubs is intended to cover at least 75% of the actual cost of provision.

Schools which are part of the breakfast clubs early adopter programme will receive funding from April 2025 to cover food, delivery and staffing costs. The final amount each school will receive is dependent on take-up of the breakfast club and school characteristics. The department has used existing programmes and costs to determine the funding rates and this has been tested and refined with a number of schools.The new breakfast club scheme uses a different funding model compared to the existing national school breakfast programme (NSBP), which only covers the cost of 75% of food. Under the existing programme, schools are required to contribute the remaining 25% for food, plus staffing and other overheads. The new scheme will provide substantially more funding than the NSBP.One function of the early adopters is to test how schools utilise the funding and understand what support schools need to deliver their free and universal clubs.Based on analysis of this existing provision, we are confident that the total funding will enable schools to meet the minimum expectations.

Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the average return on capital employed of family-owned farms in (a) England and (b) the UK.

Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) for family-owned farms is not available. Data are collected at the commercial farm business level by the Farm Business Survey. The survey does not collect information on whether farms are family-owned so it is not possible to infer any estimate answering this question.

If she will make an estimate of the potential impact of achieving level 2 in (a) English and (b) maths on the lifetime earnings of a person with those grades.

Research published by the department in 2021 on attainment by the end of key stage 4 found that a one-grade improvement in GCSE mathematics and English was associated with an increase of £14,579 and £7,266 in lifetime earnings respectively. The full report can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/993202/GCSE_Attainment_and_Lifetime_Earnings_PDF3A.pdfThat is why the department continues to ensure the highest standards of teaching to GCSE, requires 16- to 19-year-old students without level 2 in these subjects to continue studying them and fully funds adults through the adult skills fund statutory entitlement.

Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the retail price of a basket of food goods (a) in cash terms and (b) as a proportion of average family income spent on food goods in (i) the UK and (b) comparable countries.

The Office for National Statistics reports the average weekly household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages in the UK, which is collected via ONS’s Living Costs and Food Survey and published in Family Spending in the UK. OECD Data Explorer publishes annual household final consumption expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as total expenditure, in the G7 countries. Using this data, it is possible to calculate the proportion of expenditure spent on food and non-alcoholic beverages. The UK data is taken from the Office for National Statistics’ Consumer Trends publication. G7 countries% of expenditure spent on food and non-alcoholic beverages (2022)Canada9.4France13.2Germany11.5Italy14.4Japan15.9United Kingdom8.4Unites States6.9

What proportion of teachers without qualified teacher status will be exempted from requiring that status due to exemptions for maintained schools being extended to academy schools under the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill.

Following implementation of the qualified teacher status (QTS) measure in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, when a teacher is recruited and commences employment with an academy, they will be required to have QTS or meet one of the exemptions set out in regulations. The proportion of the teachers who will meet one of these exemptions and therefore not require QTS will depend on the individual circumstances of the teachers being employed and recruitment decisions made by leadership teams in academies.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of complaints to Ofsted on schools.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the right hon. Member for East Hampshire directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of funds spent by (a) schools and (b) trusts on legal advice in relation to complaints.

Each year, schools receive core funding from the department to cover their expenditures. The funding schools receive is not ringfenced for any specific form of expenditure and it is for each school to determine how this money will be best used to support their individual circumstances.We do not keep records of schools or trust spending on legal advice in relation to complaints or any other legal matters.All schools must have a written complaints procedure that tells complainants how they can make a complaint and how the school will handle it. This must be available on request to complainants.

What data her Department holds on the (a) proportion of, (b) extent of and (c) reasons for schools deviating from the National Curriculum.

The department does not wish to create significant additional burdens on schools by trying to collect detailed information on compliance with the national curriculum, which is not always straightforward to assess, and therefore does not hold data on schools’ curriculum provision.A recent external survey indicates that 8 in 10 Multi-Academy Trust Chief Executives believe that this change will have no impact or could have a positive impact for their schools.