The Condition Data Collection (CDC) is one of the largest and most comprehensive data collection programmes in the UK’s public sector. It collected data on the building condition of government funded schools in England. It provides a robust evidence base to enable the Department to target capital funding for maintaining and rebuilding school buildings.

The key, high level findings of the CDC programme were published in May 2021 in the ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey: Key Findings’ report. This is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.

Individual CDC reports have been shared with every school and their responsible body to use alongside their existing condition surveys to plan maintenance schedules and investment plans. The Department plans to publish detailed school level CDC data. The data is being prepared and will be published as soon as possible.

Well maintained, safe school buildings are a priority for the Department. Our funding is directed both to maintaining the condition of the school estate and rebuilding schools. The Department has allocated over £13 billion for improving the condition of schools since 2015, including £1.8 billion committed this financial year.

The ten year School Rebuilding Programme (SRP) is condition led. 400 of the 500 available places on the programme have been provisionally allocated. A list of these schools and the methodology used to select them is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-schools-in-the-programme.

The following table shows the constituencies specified that have schools or colleges selected for SRP:

The 239 schools announced in December 2022 will enter delivery at a rate of approximately 50 per year, over a five year period from 2023. The Department is currently undertaking due diligence on these schools prior to scheduling them, with schools prioritised according to the condition of their buildings, readiness to proceed, and efficiency of delivery. The scope and funding for each project will be confirmed following detailed feasibility studies and condition surveys of buildings.

Where a school identifies significant safety issues with a building, that cannot be managed within local resources, the Department considers additional support on a case-by-case basis. This includes applications for Urgent Capital Support (UCS) from eligible institutions. Schools eligible for Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) can apply for UCS where there are urgent health and safety issues that threaten school closure and cannot wait until the next CIF bidding round.

Successive years of record numbers crossing the channel has placed our immigration system under substantial pressure. To meet our statutory obligation, we ask our accommodation providers to source accommodation in all areas.

When a site becomes available and meets the requirements of our accommodation standards, we follow our engagement process and notify the local MP as well as local authority officials in advance of using the location.

The department does not hold the data requested. However, the most recent Childcare and Early Years Survey of Parents provides some data on parental spend on childcare. The results of this survey are available at: https://www.explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/childcare-and-early-years-survey-of-parents/2021.

The survey shows the average cost of childcare per week for parents of 0 to 14-year-old children by region. It also shows the cost by day for school-aged children during holiday periods. This data is not available at local authority or constituency level.

The department is aware that childcare is a key concern for parents and that is why we are committed to improving the cost, choice, and availability of childcare. We continue to look at ways to make childcare more affordable and to encourage families to use the government-funded support they are entitled to.

The department has spent over £3.5 billion in each of the past three years on early education entitlements and continues to support families with the cost of childcare through Tax-Free Childcare and Universal Credit.

In the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021, the department also announced it is investing over £200 million a year in the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides enriching activities and healthy meals for disadvantaged children during school holidays.

In July, the department announced further measures to increase take-up of childcare support and reduce the costs and bureaucracy facing providers. This included a new £1.2 million campaign via the childcare choices website to ensure every parent knows about the government funded support they are eligible for. Childcare Choices is available at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member, and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Based on the information supplied by local authorities, as of 20 October 2022[1], the attached spreadsheet provides details of the number of Sure Start children’s centre closures reported in the relevant constituencies since 2010.

In October 2021, as part of the Autumn Budget, the government announced £301.75 million to transform Start for Life and Family Hub services in 75 upper-tier local authorities across England. The 75 eligible local authorities were announced on the 2 April 2022. These were selected based on levels of disadvantage, targeting the areas with the highest levels of deprivation and disproportionately poor health and educational outcomes. Information on the names of selected local authorities can be foundhere: https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fuploads%2Fsystem%2Fuploads%2Fattachment_data%2Ffile%2F1065255%2FFamily_Hubs_and_Start_for_Life_Package_-_Transparency_Data.ods&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK. An additional 12 local authorities will be receiving funding through the Family Hubs Transformation Fund.

On 23 May 2022, the department announced the first wave of seven successful local authorities. The second wave of five local authorities will be announced in due course. The attached spreadsheet indicates which constituencies are eligible to receive funding either through the Family Hubs and Start for Life package or the first wave of the Family Hubs Transformation Fund.

The department is in the process of signing local authorities up to this programme and funding allocations for individual local authorities delivering the programme will be published once the programme’s sign-up process has been completed. For the Family Hubs Transformation Fund programme, local authorities were invited to bid for up to £1 million in funding, with up to £833,000 for programme expenditure and up to £167,000 for capital expenditure. Funding will be awarded to the local authorities listed on the basis of their bid to the department.

[1] The number of children’s centre closures is based on information supplied by local authorities as of 20 October 2022. These figures may differ from number of closures reported locally and may change again in future since local authorities may update their data at any time.

The Department has allocated over £13 billion in condition funding since 2015 for improving the condition of school buildings, including £1.8 billion in the 2021/22 financial year.

Schools, and those responsible for school buildings, receive condition funding through different routes depending upon their size and type. Local authorities, large academy trusts and large voluntary aided bodies receive school condition allocations (SCA) to invest in their schools. In addition, devolved formula capital (DFC) is allocated for individual schools and other eligible institutions to spend on capital projects that meet their own priorities.

As investment of these allocations is determined at a local level, and many responsible bodies, such as large academy trusts, cut across local boundaries, it is not possible to break total spend down to constituency level. However, allocations of SCA and DFC for the 2021/22 financial year can be accessed here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20210701004626/https:/www.gov.uk/guidance/school-capital-funding#funding-allocations-for-the-2021-to-2022-financial-year.

Schools not part of bodies eligible for SCA are instead eligible to bid to the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). Annual bidding rounds for CIF are launched in the autumn and we announce the outcomes in the following spring. CIF funding is released in phased payments as work progresses. For CIF, the Department does not track monthly expenditure by constituency. We publish final CIF funding amounts on individual projects only once all projects in an annual round have completed, for commercial reasons.

In addition to allocations, the School Rebuilding Programme will rebuild or refurbish buildings at 500 schools over the next decade. 161 schools have been confirmed to date and details, including contract values once available, are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-rebuilding-programme-2022-to-2023-approved-schools.

A breakdown in the number of Ofsted-registered childminders who are working, and the number of children aged 1-3 and 4-11 by parliamentary constituency and local authorities requested, can be found in the attached table. Childminders are generally the most affordable and flexible form of childcare and form an important part of the broader childcare market.

Under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006, local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. At present, all local authorities report that they are fulfilling their duty to ensure sufficient childcare.

The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.

The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.

The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.

The Department has no plans to make a statement.

The Department is preparing detailed analysis of the data collected for the Condition Data Collection (CDC) programme and plan to publish the details by the end of the year.

The key, high-level findings of the CDC programme, were published in May 2021 in the report ‘Condition of School Buildings Survey – Key Findings’.

The report is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/989912/Condition_of_School_Buildings_Survey_CDC1_-_key_findings_report.pdf.