Written questions by Hinds.

What assessment she has made of trends in the levels of in-service teachers opting out of the teachers’ pension scheme.

Departmental officials regularly gather data on the number of teachers opting out of participation in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) and discuss this with members of the Scheme Advisory Board, which is made up of employer and member representatives. Due to pension auto-enrolment rules that apply when a maintained school converts to an academy and pension re-enrolment rules requiring teachers to re-submit opt-outs, it is difficult to discern any particular trend. However, officials also monitor the overall participation rate of those eligible to be in the TPS and this has remained consistent in recent years.The department is not usually informed when independent schools consult with staff regarding ongoing participation in the Teachers’ Pension Scheme. However, the scheme administrator does maintain a record of the number of independent schools participating in the scheme, as well as those that choose to leave the scheme either outright or by phased withdrawal. Independent school participation is regularly discussed with members of the Scheme Advisory Board, which is made up of member and employer representatives; such discussions start from the principle that independent schools participate voluntarily and have the right to cease participation if they so choose.The employer contribution rate for the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) increased from 23.68% to 28.68% of member salary with effect from 1 April 2024. This followed on from the results of the most recent scheme valuation exercise, which was based on 2020 data. The revised rate will lead to an increase in pension costs for all participating employers roughly equivalent to 5% of their teacher salary costs in the 2024/25 academic year. Work has not been undertaken to estimate an average cost increase across the independent school sector because this was needed to reflect the estimated costs of pension benefits that have been accrued by members of the TPS, and those benefits that are forecast to be accrued in future. Independent schools have the option to cease participation in the scheme, either outright or through phased withdrawal, if they do not consider they can meet the costs or otherwise no longer wish to continue participation.

What proportion of secondary schools are (a) at and (b) over capacity at key stages 3 and 4 in (i) City of Bristol, (ii) Kingston upon Thames, (iii) Richmond upon Thames, (iv) Salford and (v) Surrey.

Information on state-funded school places as at May 2023 is published at local authority level in the annual School Capacity statistics publication, which is available at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity.The number and proportion of secondary schools at or over capacity for the requested local authorities can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/91c62513-ae0a-4c08-9fa3-08dcca50353d.This includes sixth forms as well as key stages 3 and 4 for schools with sixth forms. Data are not available by year group or key stage.

How many unfilled places there are at state school sixth forms in (a) City of Bristol, (b) Camden, (c) Haringey, (d) Kingston upon Thames, (e) Richmond upon Thames, (f) Southwark, (g) Stockport and (h) Surrey; and how many pupils of that age there are in independent schools in each of those areas.

Information on state-funded school places as at May 2023 is published at local authority level in the annual School Capacity survey. This survey can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity. The capacity of state-funded school sixth forms and the number of students on roll in these sixth forms for these local authorities, which can be used to calculate unfilled places, is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/1df04bec-f3ec-4b8a-9fb7-08dcca50353d. Data is collected from independent schools through the school level annual school census. This data does not include phase but does include age of pupils. This information is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication, which can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. Information on the number of students aged 16 to 19 enrolled in independent schools in January 2024 for these local authorities can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/d0df582b-2601-4fd8-cf33-08dcca5019b8. However, please note that age does not necessarily directly align to state-funded sector primary, secondary and post-16 schools.

Whether she has had discussions with (a) City of Bristol, (b) Kingston upon Thames, (c) Richmond upon Thames, (d) Salford and (e) Surrey local authorities on capital funding for additional secondary school places at key stages 3 and 4.

The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities. The department engages with local authorities, including those mentioned, on a regular basis to review their plans for creating additional primary and pre-16 secondary school places and to consider alternatives where necessary. When local authorities are experiencing difficulties, the department offers support and advice. The department provides capital funding through the basic need grant to support local authorities to provide mainstream school places needed for year groups from reception to year 11, based on their own pupil forecasts and school capacity data. Nearly £1.5 billion of allocations have been confirmed to support local authorities to create school places needed over the current and next two academic years. Local authorities’ allocations are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-allocations.

What discussions she has had with the local authorities in (a) City of Bristol, (b) Camden, (c) Haringey, (d) Kingston upon Thames, (e) Richmond upon Thames, (f) Southwark, (g) Stockport and (h) Surrey on capital funding for additional state school sixth form places above those planned before July 2024.

Local authorities have broad duties to encourage, enable and assist young people to participate in education or training. This includes a duty to secure enough suitable education and training provision to meet the reasonable needs of all young people in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19 or aged 19 or over and for whom an education, health and care plan is maintained. As regards sixth form places, if approached by a local authority, the department will discuss options with them to support them to meet their statutory duties. The post-16 capacity fund provides funding to schools and colleges, including in Stockport and Surrey, to ensure there is enough capital capacity in schools and colleges to accommodate the demographic increases in 16 to 19 learners. It has made available £238 million in capital funding since 2021.

What estimate she has made of the average annual cost to independent schools of proposed changes in business rates.

On 29 July 2024, the Government announced that eligibility for business rates charitable rate relief will be removed from private schools in England. The increased business rates liability will vary from school to school and will be determined by their underlying Rateable Value, set by the Valuation Office Agency independently of central government. The government will confirm the introduction of these tax policy changes at the Budget, at which point the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will certify the government’s costings and impact analysis for these measures. This was a tough but necessary decision that will help to secure additional funding to support the delivery of the Government’s commitments relating to education and young people, including opening 3,000 new nurseries, rolling out breakfast clubs to all primary schools, and recruiting 6,500 new teachers.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed application of VAT to private school fees on state secondary planning areas.

This government is committed to ending the VAT exemption on private schools. While the impact of this policy is being fully considered, research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicates that the number of pupils who may switch schools as a result of these changes is likely to represent a very small proportion of overall pupil numbers in the state sector, with any displacement expected to take place over several years. This research can be found here: https://ifs.org.uk/publications/tax-private-school-fees-and-state-school-spending. Details of the government’s own assessment of the expected impact will be published at the Budget in the usual way, following scrutiny by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The department cannot be certain of the precise level, if any, of transfer from private to state sectors additional to the movements between schools, and between the private and state sectors, which happen each year in all parts of the country. The department will be monitoring demand and capacity using our normal processes and working with local authorities to meet any pressures.

How many (a) pupils, (b) Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils and (c) 16-18 year-old pupils (i) were enrolled in state schools in September 2023 and (ii) are projected to be enrolled in state schools in September 2030.

The department publishes statistics on the number of pupils at schools in England based on January school census data. Figures for January 2024 are available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.As of January 2024, 8,498,587 pupils of all ages were enrolled at state-funded schools in England, of which 3,248,903 were in Key Stage 3 or 4 and 451,638 were in Key Stage 5, which corresponds to post-16 education.A table showing the figures by school type can be viewed via this link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/de8d81d9-1e57-408a-9fad-08dcca50353d.The most recent pupil projections, which provide the projected number of full-time equivalent pupils in schools in England, by type of school and age to secondary school, are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/national-pupil-projections.Due to the uncertainty in longer term fertility assumptions, pupil projections in this release are published up to 2028, rather than up to 2032 as was the case in previous years.

What her policy is on the future of the Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs programme.

The department is committed to ensuring that every child in an early years setting receives high quality education and care. Evidence shows that this has a positive impact on outcomes in both the short and long term, particularly for the most disadvantaged children. The Stronger Practice Hubs Programme launched in 2022 to address the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the youngest children, with a focus on the most disadvantaged areas. The Hubs support early years settings and childminders by sharing effective practice, learning from the best available evidence, and building lasting local networks. The department is pleased to confirm that the Stronger Practice Hubs programme will be extended until 31 March 2025.

What his planned timetable is for completion of the new Basingstoke and North Hampshire hospital.

We recognise the need for investment in National Health Service estates across the country, including in Hampshire. We will provide the investment and reform needed to get patients the care they deserve.As my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced, and as subsequently confirmed in my Rt hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement on 29 July 2024, we will be undertaking a full and comprehensive review of the New Hospital Programme to provide a realistic and costed timetable for delivery.

Whether she has set aside capital funding for the provision of potential additional places in state schools in the event they are required as a result of pupils moving from the independent sector to the state sector.

Education is at the heart of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity so every child gets the best start in life. Ending tax breaks on private schools will help raise revenue to drive forward the change this government is committed to deliver. The department is supporting HM Treasury, which will deliver the tax changes. Further details were published by the government on 29 July 2024 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-on-private-school-fees-removing-the-charitable-rates-relief-for-private-schools. The department collects pupil forecasts and school capacity data from local authorities annually through the School Capacity survey. 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.

What underspends are projected in (a) her Department and (b) each of its arms length bodies in (i) this financial year and (ii) the Spending Review period.

As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, set out in her statement on July 29, the government’s spending audit has identified a forecast Resource Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) overspend of £21.9 billion against the plans set out for departments at Spring Budget 2024. This already factors in the Treasury’s assessment of a £7.1 billion fallaway over the course of the year, as set out in Table 1 of ‘Fixing the foundations: public spending audit 2024-25’. The government has announced £5.5 billion of savings in the 2024/25 financial year, bringing the in-year pressures down to £16.4 billion.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of imposing 20% VAT on school fees on exports.

As the Chancellor announced on 29 July, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training supplied by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20%. Boarding services closely related to such a supply will also be subject to VAT at 20%. Any fees paid from 29 July 2024 pertaining to the term starting in January 2025 onwards will be subject to VAT. Furthermore, where a school in England has charitable status, the government will legislate to remove their eligibility to business rates charitable rates relief. The government will confirm the introduction of these tax changes at Budget. A Tax Information and Impact Note will be published alongside the Finance Bill once the independent Office for Budget Responsibility have scrutinised and certified the impacts of the final policy.

What estimate she has made of the price elasticity of demand for independent-sector education following a one-off increase in price of 20% (a) in the immediate term and (b) over time for (i) individual phases of education and (ii) on average across all phases.

As the Chancellor announced on 29 July, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training supplied by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20%. Boarding services closely related to such a supply will also be subject to VAT at 20%. Any fees paid from 29 July 2024 pertaining to the term starting in January 2025 onwards will be subject to VAT. Furthermore, where a school in England has charitable status, the government will legislate to remove their eligibility to business rates charitable rates relief. The government will confirm the introduction of these tax changes at Budget. A Tax Information and Impact Note will be published alongside the Finance Bill once the independent Office for Budget Responsibility have scrutinised and certified the impacts of the final policy.

What the (a) capacity and (b) number of students on roll was for 16 to 19 education in (i) state-funded (A) sixth-forms and (B) colleges and (ii) independent schools in each parliamentary constituency in the most recent period for which data is available.

Information on the capacity and pupils on roll in primary and secondary state-funded schools, including sixth forms, as at May 2023, which is the latest period for which data is available, is published in the annual ‘School capacity’ in England statistics.This can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity.Data is published at school level and has been joined with information from Get Information About Schools to aggregate to parliamentary constituency. The attached document ‘Table 1_1653’ provides this data. Information is not available on the capacity of independent schools.Information on the number of students enrolled in state-funded and independent schools as at January 2024, which is the latest published census data available, is published in the 'Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistics. This can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. Under ‘additional supporting files’ is a school-level file titled ‘School level underlying data - 2023/24 (csv, 22 Mb)’ which includes phase of school (column ‘O’), type of establishment (column ‘S’) and parliamentary constituency (column 'AB’) Please note that where statistics were published prior to the changes in parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of the statistics.

What the (a) capacity and (b) number of pupils on roll was in (i) state-funded and (ii) independent schools at each phase of (A) primary education and (B) secondary education to the end of key stage four in each parliamentary constituency in the most recent period for which data is available.

Information on the capacity and pupils on roll in primary and secondary state-funded schools as at May 2023, which is the latest period for which data is available, is published in the annual ‘School capacity’ in England statistics. This can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity. Data is published at school level and has been joined with information from ‘Get Information About Schools’ to aggregate to parliamentary constituency. The attached document ‘Table 1_1652’ provides this data. Information is not available on the capacity of independent schools. Information on the number of students enrolled in state-funded and independent schools as at January 2024, which is the latest published census data available, is published in the 'Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistics. This is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. Under ‘additional supporting files’ is a school-level file titled ‘School level underlying data - 2023/24 (csv, 22 Mb)’ which includes phase of school (column ‘O’), type of establishment (column ‘S’) and parliamentary constituency (column 'AB’). Please note that where statistics were published prior to the changes in parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of the statistics.

What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on potential workforce participation effects of the availability of (a) year-round and (b) term-time only childcare provision.

Ensuring that parents are able to access affordable and high-quality childcare is a priority for this government. This means ensuring that a variety of different types of provision are available, including year-round and term-time only, that suit the needs of different parents. Regular discussions are held with Cabinet colleagues on how this government can deliver these priorities, including through our work on our mission to break down opportunities for every child.

What proportion of the proposed additional nursery places in primary schools will be (a) year-round and (b) term-time only.

There are a range of models of nursery provision run on school sites, including nursery classes attached to primary schools, provision for 2 year olds and full day care run by schools, as well as private and voluntary providers running provision on school sites. The department will be working closely with the sector as it develops this commitment to ensure new nursery provision meets the varied needs of parents, children and schools.

Whether independent English Language schools will be exempt from VAT.

As the Chancellor announced on 29 July, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training supplied by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20%. Boarding services closely related to such a supply will also be subject to VAT at 20%. Any fees paid from 29 July 2024 pertaining to the term starting in January 2025 onwards will be subject to VAT. Furthermore, where a school in England has charitable status, the government will legislate to remove their eligibility to business rates charitable rates relief. This is intended to take effect from April 2025, subject to Parliamentary passage. The teaching of English as a foreign language will not be affected by these changes and will continue to be exempt from VAT.

Which responsibilities of (a) the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and (b) other bodies she plans to transfer to the proposed new body, Skills England.

Skills England will bring together employers, education and training providers and unions with national and combined authorities to ensure that national and regional skills systems are meeting the needs and supporting delivery of the government’s Growth Mission. Skills England will be established in phases over the next 9 to 12 months to create a responsive and collaborative skills system. The route for employers to shape skills training is currently offered by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE). The Skills England Bill will transfer relevant functions from IfATE to my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, in the first instance, to ensure that Skills England can be developed and have the necessary functions in the coming months. IfATE will continue its important work in the interim as the transition of functions to Skills England is finalised. Further details will be shared as plans for legislation are developed.